Aqueduct: Strapping Groom refuses to lose in Tom Fool

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - He hadn’t raced in 10 weeks, had been dealing with a foot issue and an interrupted training schedule, and was not in his customary forwardly placed position.

Strapping Groom, two lengths behind at the eighth pole, had every reason to get beat in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap at Aqueduct.

But under a persevering Irad Ortiz Jr., Strapping Groom collared the pace-setting Dads Caps in the final 50 yards and went to win the Tom Fool by one length. Dads Caps, had to settle for second, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Saturday’s Charm, who was third. Jake N Elwood, Non Stop, Candyman E, and Sensational Slam completed the order of finish.

The win was the 10th from 27 starts for Strapping Groom, and his fifth from nine starts - all stakes - since being claimed by David Jacobson and Drawing Away Stable last May 24. Strapping Groom hadn’t been out since winning the Gravesend on Dec. 21, having had to scratch out of the Grade 3 Toboggan on Feb. 1 due to a quarter crack.

“He’s a good horse, absolutely a good one," Jacobson said. "He’s one of the better sprinters on the East Coast if not in the country right now in my opinion."

Usually on or near the lead, Strapping Groom, breaking from the rail, was in third position early under Ortiz while Dads Caps, under Cornelio Velasquez, set fractions of 22.56 seconds for the quarter and 45.23 for the opening half-mile, while being chased by Jake N Elwood. Ortiz saved ground until he tipped Strapping Groom three wide approaching the stretch. Still, with Strapping Groom carrying 123 pounds and spotting Dads Caps five pounds, there was a question of whether he would get there.

Jacobson said that Strapping Groom wasn’t as close to the pace as he had hoped, “and given the training schedule we had because of the severe winter he wasn’t the fittest horse today going out there."

"But," he said, "then when I saw the fractions, I said, ‘We might have a shot.’ ”

Ortiz, who was riding Strapping Groom for the first time, said his horse broke a little slowly, but “when I got clear, he took off.”

Strapping Groom, a 7-year-old son of Johannesburg who has now banked $916,713, covered the six furlongs in 1:09.85 and returned $4.30 as the even-money favorite.

Jacobson said Strapping Groom could be pointed to the Grade 1 Carter over Aqueduct’s main track on April 5.

Dads Caps has now finished second in three consecutive stakes, including two runner-up finishes to Candyman E.

“It’s tough, we keep getting beat by good horses,” said Rudy Rodriguez, who trains Dads Caps for Vincent Scuderi. “One of these days we’ll turn the tables, but we’re happy the way he ran.”

* Earlier on the card, Mean Season made it 3 for 3 with a stylish-looking 7 1/2-length victory in a second-level allowance race. The 4-year-old son of Henny Hughes ran six furlongs in 1:09.43 under Ortiz for trainer Bill Mott.

However, Mean Season was walked onto the equine ambulance before being able to come back to the winner’s circle. Assistant trainer Leana Willaford said Mean Season was “slightly off” in his left foreleg.