Erase makes it look easy in Leonatus
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
Erase, with his speed well rationed by jockey Joe Talamo, scored a front-running win in the $100,000 Leonatus Stakes for 3-year-olds on Saturday night at Turfway Park.
The Leonatus was the stakes debut for Erase ($9.20), a Dialed In colt trained by Brad Cox for breeder Robert LaPenta and co-owner Madaket Stables. It could serve as a springboard to bigger things.
Turfway's 3-year-old series continues with the $120,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes on March 5, offering its top finishers Kentucky Derby qualifying points on the 10-4-2-1 scale. The track's major prep race is the Grade 3, $600,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks on April 2, awarding points on a 100-40-20-10 scale.
Erase, who broke from post 2 in the field of 10, was away in good order and had eased his way to a length lead through a moderate opening quarter in 24.57 seconds on the Tapeta. He maintained that advantage through the half in 48.76 seconds while tracked with little serious pressure by Zoombie and Wish Me Home. Meanwhile, Twenty Four Mamba, stakes-placed at Woodbine last year, had secured a position stalking in fourth after getting in right on the first turn.
Talamo shook Erase up nearing the quarter pole and the colt began to extend his advantage. He was never seriously threatened en route to a two-length victory, finishing the mile in 1:39.70.
Twenty Four Mamba emerged from the pack as the pacepressers faded to finish a clear second, 1 1/4 lengths clear of the rallying Rich Strike in third. Favored Friar Laurence, who was trying two turns for the first time, faded from fourth at the quarter pole to finish a non-threatening eighth.
This was the second win in four career starts for Erase. The colt was second in his debut sprinting on the Indiana dirt last fall, then broke his maiden going six furlongs on the dirt there. In his first outing on the Tapeta, he was fourth in an allowance-level event Dec. 17 at Turfway, in which Friar Laurence and Twenty Four Mamba were first and second.