Shagaf Cruises to Two-Length Win Friday at Gulfstream
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Making his second career start and first as a 3-year-old, Shadwell Stable homebred Shagaf cruised to a two-length victory in Friday’s featured 10th race at Gulfstream Park.
Trained by Chad Brown, the bay son of 2006 champion 3-year-old Bernardini stalked the early pace on the outside, took command turning for home and was unchallenged down the stretch before hitting the wire in 1:37.21 for one mile over a fast main track.
“I was very impressed. He’s trained like a super quality horse since he came into the barn,” Brown said. “The whole Shadwell team came down for the race. Obviously they have Mohaymen in for the [$350,000 Lambholm South Holy Bull (G2)] tomorrow and it’s a homebred of theirs. I’m very lucky they sent this horse to me. He’s special.”
Sent off as the 4-5 favorite, Shagaf ($3.80) broke alertly from outside post seven under Irad Ortiz Jr. and sat four wide down the backstretch as 80-1 long shot Picadilly Roadster took the field through a quarter-mile in 23.62 seconds and a half in 46.82.
As Rally Cry, the narrow second choice coming off an impressive maiden victory Dec. 26 at Gulfstream, hesitated to go through an opening along the rail approaching the far turn, Shagaf effortlessly assumed the lead with two furlongs to run and separated from the field.
“I got a good trip,” said New York-based Ortiz, whose victory was his first in 14 tries at the Championship Meet. “We were in a good position down the backstretch and he just pulled me to the lead. He did it on his own.”
Ortiz kept Shagaf to task nearing the wire, chased by Southside Warrior and a rallying Rally Cry. Bar None, Tasit and Picadilly Roadster completed the order of finish.
“[Ortiz] said basically from the quarter pole home he had absolutely nobody around him to keep him focused. It’s only his second career start. He started to maybe let up a little bit before the wire and he had to get after him a little bit,” Brown said. “He said on the gallop out when he heard the horses coming behind him and tried to pull him up, he tried to break again.”
Brown said he would talk with Shadwell’s U.S.-based racing manager Rick Nichols about where to put the late-emerging Triple Crown prospect next, with the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) Feb. 27 at Gulfstream one of the possibilities.
“We’ll speak about it in the weeks to come. Hopefully he comes out of the race in good order and healthy,” Brown said. “He’ll be nominated to everything. [The Fountain of Youth] is a choice, it’ll be considered. There’s a bunch of different factors: Mohaymen, where he’s running; how much time we need after this race; examining the horse physically. We’ll play it safe, nominate him everywhere and let the horse tell us and work as a team.”
Source: Gulfstream Park
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