Feel the Fear making purchase price seem like a bargain

It was about this time a year ago that trainer Austin Gustafson was expressing optimism for the yearlings his clients had purchased at auction, including a few offspring of Honor Code.

Fast forward to Friday night and one of those Honor Codes, named Feel the Fear, will put a 2-for-2 record on the line in the $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes at Remington Park.

The Clever Trevor, which is for 2-year-olds at seven furlongs, is the final local stepping-stone to the $400,000 Springboard Mile in December.

Feel the Fear on Friday could start as the second choice to Concept, who earned one of the year’s best Beyer Speed Figures for a 2-year-old when he put up a 91 winning his maiden in the $75,000 Kip Deville at Remington. The Clever Trevor field of nine also includes El Pando, who earned a Beyer of 86 for his debut win in a recent maiden special weight at Remington.

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Feel the Fear was a $52,000 purchase by Forge Ahead Stables at Keeneland September in 2020. He made his career debut in a maiden special weight on May 20 at Lone Star Park and led throughout for a 4 1/4-length win. Feel the Fear returned to win the $100,000 Prairie Gold Juvenile over six furlongs on Aug. 14 at Prairie Meadows. He defeated a deep field by two lengths, including Concept and Tengo Mis Papeles, a two-time stakes winner at Lone Star.

The Clever Trevor will be Feel the Fear’s first start at Remington Park. He shows a strong local gate work for the task, going a half-mile in 46.80 seconds. It was the second-fastest of 112 moves at the distance Oct. 16.

Ramon Vazquez has the mount from post 2.

Concept could get an ideal tracking trip from post 9. In his third start, he dueled through quick fractions in the Kip Deville on Sept. 26 before going on to a 1 1/2-length win over Tejano Twist. Since the race, Tejano Twist has come back to win a Keeneland allowance by more than seven lengths, earning a Beyer of 87.

The Beyer of 91 that Concept earned is among the top 10 numbers put up by all 2-year-olds in 2021. Concept covered six furlongs in 1:10.12.

As a son of 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner, Concept is bred to appreciate the additional furlong of the Clever Trevor.

Stewart Elliott has the mount for trainer Steve Asmussen. Concept races for his breeders, Winchell Thoroughbreds and Tony Holmes.

El Pando is a son of Outwork who won his debut by 8 3/4 lengths on Sept. 15.