Tourist finally gets his Grade 1 in the Fourstardave
Tourist finally made the big leap in the $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap. He not only earned his first graded stakes win against familiar rivals, but a Grade 1 victory at Saratoga.
Leaving from the outside post in a field of six, Tourist and jockey Joel Rosario made a beeline toward the front, bumping A Lot while leaving the gate, to sit behind frontrunner King Kreesa. The 2015 winner Grand Arch settled in third while Ring Weekend moved up the rail past Force the Pass. A Lot was pleased to trail the field.
King Kreesa set opening fractions of :24.53 and :48.43 while Tourist slowly shortened the distance between them. When the field reached the turn, Tourist moved up beside King Kreesa and pounced once clear in the homestretch, running 3/4 of the mile turf race in 1:11.70 and hitting the wire in 1:34.29.
A Lot came running in between horses to finish 1 1/4 lengths back in second, with defending champ Grand Arch following 1 1/2 lengths in third. King Kreesa, Force the Pass, and Ring Weekend completed the order of finish while Reporting Star, Blacktype, and Takeover Target were scratched.
Javier Castellano, the jockey aboard A Lot, lodged an objection against Rosario and Tourist due to the start of the race, but the stewards made no change.
The winner paid $7.40, $3.90, and 2.90 at 5-2. A Lot, 5-1, delivered $6.00 and 3.80, and Grand Arch brought $3.60 for the show.
“He was very impressive,” trainer Bill Mott said of Tourist. “He had a good trip. Looking at the race, on paper, that looked like the type of trip he would probably get. He was laying second, came on, drew away from the field, and ran very well. There was a bit of an anxious moment in the middle of the turn, he took a bad step. I swallowed [hard] there for a second, but he was able to pick himself back up and go on with it. Once he straightened up for home it looked like he still was traveling well.
“It was important for a horse like him to [get a Grade 1 win]. He's been a good horse for us, multiple Grade 1-placed. To win the Fourstardave in Saratoga was very important. There have been some nice horses win it in the past and I'm sure we'll have some more in the future. But it was his day today.”
Rosario commented, “It was a good trip. He's a nice horse and really put in a nice run. It was all him today.”
Owned by breeder WinStar Farm LLC along with Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber, Tourist improved his record to 16-5-3-3. The Fourstardave was the sixth Grade 1 race in a row for the five-year-old son of Tiznow, and eighth overall Grade 1 attempt. After finally notching that long sought after score, Tourist bumped his earnings up to $970,340.
By Christine Oser