Focus Group wins bob in Pan American Stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Chad Brown entered Focus Group in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Pan American Stakes with the idea of using the race as a prep for the Grade 1 Man o’ War at Belmont Park in May.

Not only did Focus Group get a useful prep he got a gritty victory as well, somehow getting his nose down on the wire in front of a hard-luck Melmich in the Pan Am at Gulfstream Park.

It was one length back to Village King, who was a length front of Canessar. Feargal Lynch, the rider of Canessar, claimed foul against Javier Castellano aboard Melmich, but the stewards disallowed it.

Irad Ortiz Jr. rode Focus Group for his fourth win on the card.

It was the fifth win in 12 starts for Focus Group, a 5-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy owned by Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence. It was his first graded stakes victory.

Focus Group was making his first start since Oct. 13, when he finished third in the Grade 1 Canadian International at Woodbine. For that reason, Brown felt he might have been a couple of works short of running his best.

“I was just trying to get a race in the horse with the Man o’ War in mind in New York, it worked out. I really thought he might be a little short for win honors,” Brown said. “I was looking for a good race. The trip he got from Irad really made the difference.”

Breaking from the rail, Focus Group was basically kept on the inside for virtually the entire journey by Ortiz. He was fifth, right behind Canessar as that horse tracked Village King and a rank Salute the Colonel through a half-mile in 51.62 seconds and six furlongs in 1:18.37.

Salute the Colonel faded, but Village King kept going though he came off the inside turning for home.

Ortiz cut the corner sweetly and was able to get through in upper stretch. But Javier Castellano was able to get Melmich to the outside turning for home and was charging three wide with Village King still fighting on between horses.

Melmich looked like he was going the stronger of the trio, but he was lugging in a touch which enabled Focus Group to get the bob on the wire.

Castellano “had to check a little bit and that’s probably why I won the race because his horse was running, too,” Ortiz said. “We got lucky, we got the win.”

Focus Group covered the 1 1/2 miles in 2:30.03 over firm turf and returned $5.80 as the favorite.