Amstrong stays perfect on Tapeta in Bear's Den Stakes
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Amstrong remained undefeated and virtually unchallenged on the Gulfstream Park Tapeta course after rallying to a popular and relatively easy 2 1/4-length victory over the well-traveled Love Me Not in the $75,000 Bear’s Den Stakes for 3-year-olds.
Amstrong showed his fondness for the Tapeta strip right off the bat when winning his debut over the surface by four widening lengths against maiden special weight opposition here April 15. Trainer Jose D’Angelo wheeled him back over the same course eight weeks later to capture the Not Surprising Stakes in similarly one-sided fashion, winning off by 3 3/4 lengths despite a wide trip.
Amstrong shipped north for the summer, finishing a well-beaten seventh and last trying turf and graded stakes competition for the first time in the Grade 3 Manila at Belmont Park before returning to dirt to be third against older allowance competition on Aug. 4 at Laurel.
D’Angelo shipped Amstrong back to South Florida shortly thereafter with the intention of getting him back on the Tapeta in the Bear’s Den. The son of Tapwrit responded with yet another big effort, with jockey Miguel Vasquez aboard once again.
As was the case in his two previous Tapeta wins, Amstrong rated within easy striking distance of the early leader, the pacesetting Love Me Not, who shipped south for the Bear’s Den after being haltered for $40,000 out of an easy victory of his own in his last start at Monmouth Park. Amstrong advanced readily to engage the leader while fanning a bit wide entering the stretch, gained command approaching the furlong marker, and won going away.
Love Me Not, who was trying a synthetic surface for the first time in his 12th career start, proved no match for the winner through the final furlong but remained second-best, finishing a length in front of Smart Striker.
Amstrong completed the distance in 1:40.89 and paid $4.80.
“He loves the Tapeta, he was ready, and he was much the best in the race,” D’Angelo said by phone from Lexington, Ky., where he watched the race from the sales pavilion at Keeneland. “His last two races were against tougher company. I brought him back here with this race in mind, and the two works I gave him at Palm Meadows were enough to have him ready to win.”
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