Bravaro leads unexpected Joseph exacta in Hilton Memorial
Most trainers would be in for a rough day if their 3-5 favorite failed to fire, but Saffie Joseph Jr. was blessed with options in the $500,000 Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes on Friday at Charles Town.
With three horses entered in the field of seven 3-year-olds, Joseph secured a one-two finish when Bravaro edged clear of his stablemate, the 39-1 longshot Langvad, by a half-length. Solitude Dude, Joseph’s heavy favorite, never fired from fourth.
Because Solitude Dude, who was coming off a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Amsterdam at Saratoga, was bet so heavily and finished out of the money, Joseph’s other runners both returned healthy payouts. Bravaro paid $17.40 to win as the 7-1 third choice, while Langvad went off as the longest shot in the field. The stubborn runner-up paid $28.20 to place and $22.40 to show, while the $1 exacta paid $201.20.
On Aug. 1, Joseph entered Bravaro and Langvad in the $100,000 Petramolo Mile at Colonial Downs, but the trainer said after the race that he never planned to run both horses. Langvad scratched, while Bravaro sustained pressure on the front end the entire way and missed by a neck at the wire.
The Hilton Memorial was Langvad’s first start since June, when he won the $100,000 Carry Back at Gulfstream Park.
All three of Joseph’s 3-year-olds have run on the lead in recent starts, but Langvad took the initiative in the two-turn, seven-furlong sprint on Friday, hustling for a short advantage over Ryan’s Run, a previously unbeaten local contender trained by Jeff Runco. Jockey Micah Husbands kept the Joseph-trained longshot in high gear through an opening quarter-mile in 23.65 seconds and half-mile in 47.01.
Bravaro was brave on the front end at Colonial last time out, but jockey Paco Lopez was content to settle in fifth early on at Charles Town. The New York-bred bided his time on the backstretch before launching his bid on the far turn, blowing right past Solitude Dude and setting his sights on the top pair.
In a rush, Bravaro swung wide into the stretch and took over by a half-length, asking a great deal of the flagging front-runners with a furlong to go.
Ryan’s Run quickly gave in, but Langvad never went away, holding the margin all the way to the wire without re-engaging for the lead. Bravaro and Lopez easily held at the wire, completing the seven-furlong sprint in 1:25.
The West Virginia-bred Ryan’s Run was far from disgraced in open company and hung on for third, five lengths behind Langvad. He finished three lengths ahead of Solitude Dude, who received the call from Tyler Gaffalione but failed to respond.
Foie Gras dominates Pink Ribbon
Foie Gras demonstrated her class in emphatic fashion at Charles Town on Friday, charging home to win the $300,000 Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon Stakes by 7 1/2 lengths.
In her two prior starts for trainer Michael Maker, Foie Gras came up just short of her first graded stakes victory at Churchill Downs, finishing third by a neck in the Grade 3 Winning Colors and second by a head in the Grade 2 Chicago. Maker described the losses as “brutal beats,” but she found the chance to blow off some steam in West Virginia.
Some of the intrigue in the Pink Ribbon was diminished when key contenders Irish Maxima and Anakarina scratched, shortening the field to six fillies and mares. Foie Gras was bet down to 6-5 as a result of the defections and paid $4.60 to win.
The last-out allowance winner Overcome Adversity and Mystic Lake, the Pink Ribbon winner last year, also took money to become short second and third choices. But when those two dueled through an opening quarter-mile in 23.45 seconds and half-mile in 47.34, the result became fairly straightforward.
Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. kept Foie Gras in a stalking position in the two-turn, seven-furlong sprint, but he could only hold her back so long. The filly quickly advanced into third on the backstretch and launched a ferocious bid on the far turn.
Neither of the front-runners came close to sticking with her, as Mystic Lake eventually faded to third while Overcome Adversity caved to last. Foie Gras kicked 1 1/2 lengths clear at the top of the stretch and drew off from there. She completed the seven-furlong distance in 1:24.59.
Icona Mama, a 9-1 outsider trained by Flint Stites, launched a belated bid under Manny Franco and nipped Mystic Lake by a neck to take second. Mystic Lake, who failed to repeat in the Pink Ribbon for Joseph, finished a neck ahead of the 71-1 longshot Professor Grace for third.
Duncan Idaho takes Last Enchantment
Runco might not have squeezed the most out of his eight West Virginia-breds in stakes on Friday, but his star, Duncan Idaho, got the job done in the $50,000 Last Enchantment overnight stakes. The 6-year-old gelding has won 18 of 26 career starts, including five statebred stakes.
In his 11th meeting with the Anthony Farrior-trained gelding Honeyquist, Duncan Idaho chased just behind in the 4 1/2-furlong sprint before ranging up to challenge in the stretch. He prevailed by three-quarters of a length and paid $3 to win.
Honeyquist, the unfortunate half of the one-sided rivalry, has only finished ahead of Duncan Idaho twice and has finished within two lengths of him for a win on six occasions.
Duncan Idaho was not the only prolific statebred to score on Friday, as Teachintherelease cruised home to win his third straight edition of the $75,000 Frank Gall Memorial Stakes by three lengths. He paid $3.60 to win.
The Stephen Murdock-trained gelding has earned 17 victories in 36 career starts, winning seven of his last eight races by daylight at Charles Town.
* In the $50,000 Shenandoah Stakes, the Cynthia McKee-trained gelding Play It Loud paid $18.20 to win in a late-charging upset under Sunday Diaz Jr. The Wine Steward, a shipping contender trained by Michael Maker, had to settle for second, while the 3-5 favorite Faster Gator finished last after stumbling at the start.
* Thelastsay, a 5-year-old mare trained by Ronney Brown, took care of business in the $50,000 Autumn Stakes. The 7-5 favorite stalked in third and edged clear to win a blanket finish over Maggie’s Girl and Party Time for Me.
* The last race on the 13-race card also yielded one of its shortest prices, as Overnight Pow Wow earned her third straight gate-to-wire victory in the $75,000 Sadie Hawkins Stakes. In McKee’s second stakes victory of the night, her 5-year-old mare rocketed ahead in the seven-furlong sprint and pulled clear by four lengths, paying $2.80 to win.
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