Win Win Win goes last-to-first with massive rally in G1 Forego
A slow break left Win Win Win dead last and out of touch with the rest of the field in the early going of Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Forego Stakes at a rain-soaked Saratoga Race Course.
Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano did not panic. He and Win Win Win proceeded to take the overland route and splash to victory. The son of Hat Trick -- who was dispatched at 7-1 in the 11-horse field -- steadily ate into what was officially a 16 1/4-length deficit down the backstretch, reached the vanguard on the turn and then uncorked a massive rally down the middle of the stretch to catch and pass pacesetter Complexity in the final strides.
"He didn't break out of the gate," Castellano explained to Fox's Maggie Wolfendale. "He's the type of horse that tends to not break out of the gate. I really didn't have any concern because there was a lot of speed and a big field. I knew he was going to come from behind."
Castellano cited the experience of riding Win Win Win for the first time last time out, when second to Complexity in a high-level allowance at Belmont Park on July 2, that let him remain calm in the saddle.
"He got in trouble a little bit the first time I rode him at Belmont, [but] I think I know him now and it finally paid off today with a Grade 1 win," Castellano said.
Win Win Win--whose only previous dirt stakes win came in last year's Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs -- completed seven furlongs on a sloppy track in 1:22.38 for the half-length victory. Complexity and longshot True Timber -- who contested the pace throughout -- held for second and third, respectively.
Fractions for the Forego were :22.38, :44.63 and 1:08.90 for six furlongs.
Owned and bred by Live Oak Plantation and trained by Michael Trombetta, Win Win Win rewarded backers with a $16.20 win mutuel.
"I honestly don't know what to say; he dropped so far back and his chicklet and number actually went off the screen and I couldn't even see across the track," Trombetta said. "Honestly, I assumed something bad might have happened where he took a bad step or something. I thought he was absolutely out of the race and might not have had a chance to even finish. But then turning for home, he came back on the screen. It's just unbelievable."
Win Win Win, who was ninth in last year's rainy Kentucky Derby and concluded the season with a win in the grassy Manilla Stakes, improves his record to 12: 5-3-1 with $601,600 in earnings.
"He's truly a good horse and deserves this," Trombetta said. "I thought we were back at the Derby [placed ninth in 2019], that's how hard it rained. I think he can handle just about any surface."