Count Again ends hiatus, catches Subconscious in Thunder Road

ARCADIA, Calif. - Through the second half of January, Count Again repeatedly recorded quick workouts on the Santa Anita infield training track in advance of Saturday’s Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes.

Leading jockey Flavien Prat was aboard for some of those workouts, which turned out to be a valuable learning experience.

“He was training good, like he was fit,” Prat said. “He gave me confidence he’d run a big race.”

Prat’s assessment was more than correct. Count Again closed from fourth in a field of six to win his first stakes since November 2020 in the $100,500 Thunder Road Stakes at a mile on turf. Prat rode Count Again for the first time in the Thunder Road.

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Count Again ($7.60) closed from more than three lengths off the pace in the final quarter-mile to win by a half-length over 3-5 favorite Subconscious.

“He put me in the race,” Prat said. “When I asked him to make his move, he gave me a good kick. He normally runs from off the pace and he had a good turn of foot.”

Count Again was timed in 1:34.12 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 95.

Subconscious, the winner of the Grade 2 Twilight Derby here in October, stumbled at the start, but recovered to stalk 30-1 Sniper Kitten through an early pace of 23.32 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.41 for a half-mile. Subconscious took the lead in early stretch, but could not maintain the advantage.

Subconscious finished three lengths clear of 7-1 Ready Soul, who was followed by Delaware, Sniper Kitten, and Hurricane Cloud.

The Thunder Road was the first start for Count Again since he finished last of five in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on turf in August, the final start of a winless five-race campaign in 2021. The Thunder Road was Count Again’s first win since the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar in November 2020, his debut for current trainer Phil D’Amato.

Owned by Agave Racing and Sam-Son Farm, the 7-year-old Count Again has won 5 of 14 starts and has earned $463,665.

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