Front Run the Fed goes last to first in Better Talk Now Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Front Run the Fed may have shown his connections a new dimension as he overcame a bit of a troubled start to rally from last and win Sunday’s $100,000 Better Talk Now Stakes by a half-length at Saratoga.

Bourbon War, making his turf debut, finished second, 2 1/4 lengths ahead of pacesetting Bulletin. Swamp Rat, Our Braintrust, and Regally Irish completed the order of finish.

The win was the third straight for Front Run the Fed, a son of Fed Biz owned by Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables and trained by Chad Brown.

Front Run the Fed had stalked the pace in his two most recent wins and he was making his first start off a two-month layoff, owing to a foot problem.

Breaking from the rail, Front Run the Fed had to be checked early by Jose Lezcano when Our Braintrust, breaking from post two under Tyler Gaffalione, came over on him soon after the break.

Front Run the Fed had his head up in the air as Lezcano took a hold of him trying to get him to settle into the first turn. He was last, about five lengths behind Bulletin, the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner, who ran a quarter in 23.74 seconds and a half-mile 46.94.

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Lezcano waited until around the far turn to make his move and he advanced into contention before coming five wide in the stretch. Bourbon War, who had his head cocked in upper stretch, came up alongside Bulletin but Front Run the Fed came outside of that rival and outfinished him to the wire.

Front Run the Fed, who was hand-ridden in the stretch by Lezcano, covered the mile in 1:34.29 and returned $4.90 as the favorite.

“I wanted to be closer, but [Our Braintrust] took my spot into the first turn, so I decided to go to Plan B, let him settle and come with a run and if he gets there, he gets there,” Lezcano said.

Brown, who won this 12th stakes of the meet – ninth on turf – credited Lezcano for adjusting the plan on the fly.

“I wouldn’t have wanted to be there if I had my choice,” Brown said. “Jose showed really good judgment, he deserves a lot of credit – he and the horse together they did everything today.”