Always Shopping wins head bob in 11-furlong Via Borghese
%20defeats%20Harajuku%20in%20the%20Via%20Borghese.12-31-2021.Lauren%20King.jpg)
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - After a grueling mile and three furlongs, it took a nose bob and photo finish camera to separate race winner Always Shopping and hard-luck runner-up Harajuku in Friday’s $100,000 Via Borghese at Gulfstream Park.
Always Shopping, racing without blinkers for the first time in her last 11 starts, broke a step slow but quickly recovered to force the pace of 5-2 co-choice Candy Flower. The two leaders were joined by Harajuku, who made a big run on the final turn to stick her head in front turning into the stretch. But Always Shopping dug in gamely from between horses under vigorous urging from jockey Tyler Gaffalione and had her nose down first at the wire.
Harajuku, a Group 3 winner in Europe but still seeking her first win in the U.S., held a narrow lead through much of the stretch outside Always Shopping but dropped the bob at the wire. Beautiful Lover, never far back from the outset, remained within easy striking distance in early stretch but could not threaten the top pair through the final furlong.
Always Shopping, a 5-year-old daughter of Awesome Again owned by Mike Repole, registered her first victory since capturing her 2021 debut, the 1 1/2-mile, Grade 3 La Prevoyante, here 11 months earlier. She paid $7 to win.
The official final time for the mile and three-eighths on the firm course was adjusted to 2:13.86 by the track clocker shortly after the race.
“I think [Harajuku] put a nose to a head in front of her, and she fought back. It was a determined effort,” Pletcher said. “I was so proud of her. She fought hard today. She got in a good stalking position from an outside post and stalked the pace. I thought they had her surrounded at the top of the stretch, but you could see her dig in and fight for the win.”
Abundantia: Gaffalione completes stakes double
Gaffalione came back a couple of hours later to notch his second stakes win on the card when guiding Miss J McKay to a come-from-behind 1 1/2-length triumph over Drapes in the $100,000 Abundantia.
Auramet, the 7-5 favorite, broke awkwardly and did not have the cleanest of trips thereafter, weakening late to finish a disappointing and unlucky sixth.
Miss J McKay was transferred to trainer Christophe Clement’s barn earlier this year. She raced mid-pack during the early stages of the five-furlong Abundantia, swung wide entering the stretch, then steadied briefly at the top of the lane before finishing best of all down the center of the course. Drapes rallied near the inside to briefly stick her head in front between calls in late stretch but could not last. Strong Odor rallied belatedly to be third.
The win was the fourth in a dozen career starts for Miss J McKay, who won a pair of stakes for trainer Cathal Lynch during her 2-year-old campaign. Final time for five furlongs was adjusted to 55.86 by track officials shortly after the race. She returned $8.20.