Arctic Wolf continues road trip with front-running Awad triumph
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The well-traveled Arctic Wolf, whose five career starts have come at five different racetracks, showed a special fondness for the new Belmont Park Tapeta track by making every pole a winning one, en route to a three-length victory over Metallican in Saturday’s $175,000 Awad Stakes.
The Awad was originally scheduled for the Widener turf course.
Arctic Wolf began his career in New York, registering a popular one-length maiden win over the turf at Aqueduct on June 18. He was subsequently purchased privately by his present connections and transferred to trainer Jack Sisterson, for whom he finished off the board in two stakes races at Ellis Park and Kentucky Downs. He then shipped to Santa Anita to win the Speakeasy Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths turning back to five furlongs for the first time on Oct. 3.
With jockey Kendrick Carmouche aboard, Arctic Wolf broke alertly from his outside post and quickly sped to a comfortable lead in the run down the backstretch. He remained clear but had three rivals in close pursuit leaving the turn before drawing away with authority once sharply roused by Carmouche for the stretch run.
Metallican, a perfect 3 for 3 coming into his stakes debut, rallied mildly to prove second best. He finished 1 3/4 lengths in front of Florida invader Riyadh Way, who overcame a slow start to loom boldly through midstretch, before flattening out a bit at the end. Titan Ready and More Champagne, the 2-1 co-favorites, finished fourth and fifth respectively, while never menacing the winner.
Arctic Wolf is owned in partnership by MHM Stables, Chad Calvert, and John Goldthorpe. He completed six furlongs in 1:08.99 and paid $13.90.
“He’s got a lot of speed and trained very well going into the race,” said Sisterson. “He came to us in good order from Phil’s [Antonucci] barn and I take the blame myself for his couple of losses because I trained the speed out of him and it took me a while to figure him out. He’s just pure speed, as he showed this afternoon.”
Sisterson was unable to attend the race in person due to the air travel shutdown that affected the entire country on Friday.
“I tried to fly yesterday afternoon right when air traffic control shut things down,” Sisterson explained. “I got delayed until this morning and then from this morning to this afternoon, and I just couldn’t make it out of Lexington.”
Pink Venom takes Stewart Manor
Pink Venom, purchased privately by Team Valor International after winning her European finale last month in her native Ireland, returned quick dividends after overcoming an eventful trip to register a well-deserved three-quarter-length decision over Brickyard Belle in the $175,000 Stewart Manor. Like the Awad, the race was carded for the turf but was decided at six furlongs over the Tapeta track.
Pink Venom came into her North American debut sporting a three-race win streak, while remaining with her regular trainer, John Murtagh, for the Stewart Manor. The plan moving forward for her is to remain in the United States with Amelia Green after the race.
Pink Venom, with jockey Jamie Spencer aboard for the first time, was in trouble right from the start when squeezed between horses and steadied back to last shortly after the break. She checked briefly again nearing the three-eighths pole and remained last turning into the stretch, before unleashing a furious rally down the center of the course, out-finishing Brickyard Belle in a game performance.
Brickyard Belle, the 9-5 favorite despite returning on just two weeks' rest off a disappointing effort in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, had only one horse beat at the top of the lane. She finished full of run herself outside Pink Venom but proved second best in the end. It was another length back to the French-bred Yuquot, who finished third in her U.S. bow.
Pink Venom covered the distance in 1:09.71 and paid $10.46.
“The European horses aren’t as quick away from the gate and you could see she wasn’t just into stride [after getting squeezed at the break],” said Murtagh. “Jamie [Spencer] said between the two bends she came into stride. He needed a gap and when he got it, she has a great turn of foot. I was a bit worried if she would have that turn of foot on the Tapeta, but she’s been skipping across it [training] all week. You’re going to see the best of her going forward at six and seven furlongs on turf over here.”
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