Everyday Heroes remains unbeaten

BALTIMORE - Everyday Heroes ran through his conditions without a loss over the winter at Oaklawn Park, and a bump up to stakes competition Saturday at Pimlico did not slow him down, either. Winning for the fourth time without a defeat, Everyday Heroes tracked a hot early pace, took over in upper stretch, and cruised to a 3 3/4-length victory in the Grade 3, $100,000 Hirsch Jacobs Stakes.

Everyday Heroes ($16.40) won easily, covering the six furlongs in 1:09.51. But after he made the lead, he started drifting steadily out. By the time he crossed the finish, he was far closer to the outside rail than the inside.

"He's perfect in the morning," said trainer Tim Ritchey. "If we need to make a change to his equipment, we'll look at that."

Ritchey won't want to change too much. Everyday Heroes, an Awesome Again colt owned by the Cash Counter Stable, won his career debut at Oaklawn by more than four lengths on Feb. 21, then captured two allowance races there by a combined 3 3/4 lengths.

"He'd never really been challenged," said Ritchey, who picked out Everyday Heroes at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale of 2007. "This was a big step up."

Outside-drawn Yano and Checklist broke best, and battled on a fast early pace, 22.71 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.96 to the half. Everyday Heroes also was away well, but settled into an ideal spot just behind the dueling leaders.

"He was off the bit, perfect," said jockey Jose Caraballo. "He wasn't running off."

When Caraballo said go before the quarter pole, Everyday Heroes went. He whipped up three wide to challenge the pacesetters, and quickly put them away while beginning to wander to the outside.

"I wasn't going to fight with him," said Caraballo.

Not for Silver rallied from eighth to finish second, while pace-pressing Checklist held on well for third. Taqarub, the 2-1 favorite, broke a half-step slowly from the rail, and never really got involved.