Caledonian turns table on Always a Suspect in Lost in the Fog

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - On Thanksgiving Day, Always a Suspect beat Caledonian by a neck in a starter allowance over Aqueduct’s main track. On New Year’s Day, Caledonian turned the tables, wearing down Always a Suspect in deep stretch to win Sunday’s $100,000 Lost in the Fog Stakes by a neck over Aqueduct’s inner track.

Caledonian rider Eric Cancel said the difference may have been trips. In the starter allowance, Caledonian tried to come through along the inside. On Sunday, Cancel made sure to come outside of Always a Suspect in the lane.

“Last time, when I decided to go on the inside, the other horse came in a little bit and [Caledonian] got a little intimidated being in there,” Cancel said. “I still had horse, but he didn’t feel 100 percent comfortable being there. This time, I tried to change the game, be the one on the outside and the plan worked out really nice.”

Caledonian bobbled slightly at the start, but Cancel said that was a non-issue as he settled into third down the backstretch.

Always a Suspect, under Kendrick Carmouche, stalked Mabrouk before putting his head in front of that rival three furlongs from home. Always a Suspect maintained a two-length lead at the eighth pole, but was run down in the final strides by Caledonian. Always a Suspect finished second by 6 1/2 lengths over Butch Walker. Cape Lookout and Mabrouk completed the order of finish.

Caledonian, a New York-bred son of Concord Point owned by The Curragh Stables and trained by John Terranova, covered the six furlongs in 1:12.08 and returned $8.50.

Terranova also won the 2016 Lost in the Fog with King Kranz. He said he was initially planning to run Caledonian in a starter allowance that is scheduled for next Friday, but opted for the Lost in the Fog when the field came up light.

“They look like they’re pretty equal,” Terranova said of Caledonian and Always a Suspect. “They just traded turns today.”

Carmouche said he wished he could have had a horse to follow a little farther in the race.

“It was a matter of him still having to chase something to the eighth pole,” Carmouche said. “I thought he leveled off good. They both kicked at the same time. It was the same scenario as last time; my horse was the winner last time, his horse was the winner today.”