Forty Under ($34.80) ends stakes-victory drought with Colonel E. R. Bradley
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
NEW ORLEANS – Forty Under became a stakes winner in September 2018 when he rallied from fifth to capture the Grade 3 Pilgrim at Belmont Park. It took about 3 1/2 years for Forty Under to become a two-time stakes winner, but he got there Saturday at Fair Grounds in the $100,000 Colonel E. R. Bradley Stakes.
But just barely.
Forty Under, breaking from the outside post in a 10-horse field under Mitchell Murrill, raced in closest attendance to 5-2 Bradley favorite Two Emmys, who went to the lead and set splits of 23.73 and 48.63 over a “good” turf course. As Two Emmys ran six furlongs in 1:13.03, a moderate pace, Forty Under drew nearly abreast, but Two Emmys spurted clear after cornering into the homestretch. Forty Under, with strong encouragement from Murrill, kept plugging away as Halo Again left his spot near the rail and came outside the top two, momentarily sticking his nose in front as Two Emmys slightly weakened. But Forty Under put his head down as the finish arrived, winning a head bob and his first stakes race in a good long while.
Two Emmys, making his first start since Oct. 22 and likely gearing up toward richer turf stakes here in February and March, ran just fine in defeat, finishing about a half-length behind the top two and several lengths clear of fourth-place Own Agenda. Forty Under was timed in 1:43.35 for 1 1/16 miles and paid $34.80 to win.
Halo Again won his turf debut last month in the Buddy Diliberto Memorial Stakes, where he went wire to wire, and validated his affinity for the surface with another strong performance. Logical Myth and Major Fed were scratched.
Mike Maker trains Forty Under, a gelded 6-year-old son of Uncle Mo and the Black Tie Affair mare, Argent Affair, for Three Diamonds Farm. Forty Under, bred in Kentucky by Cedar Hill, didn’t race from June 2020 to June 2021, moving from the barn of Jeremiah Englehart to Maker following the long layoff.