Fulsome goes last to first in Oaklawn Mile
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Fulsome was off for more than six months, and had the welcome mat rolled out for him upon his return Saturday at Oaklawn Park. The quick pace that looked on paper as though it might unfold in the $400,000 Oaklawn Mile played out that way, and Fulsome benefitted, rallying from last to first in the nine-horse field to earn the third Grade 3 stakes victory of his career.
Fulsome ($18.80) was forced to go five paths wide on the far turn to go after the leaders, but with the field bunched it was the best option for jockey Florent Geroux. Fulsome made a strong bid on the turn, got up to favored Cezanne in upper stretch, and was fully extended to get past Cezanne, the 4-5 favorite, and win by a neck.
Geroux said Fulsome tried to pull himself up when he hit the front.
“I went, ‘No, no, no,' ” he said. “The race set up perfectly. I got squeezed a little leaving the gate, but the pace set up perfectly.”
Cezanne got an ideal trip, sitting third while just outside pacesetters Market Analysis and Runnin’ Ray. Market Analysis carved out the early fractions of 22.73 seconds for the quarter and :45.87 for the half.
“Good trip, no excuse. Just got outrun,” said his rider, Flavien Prat.
Runnin’ Ray tired to be third, two lengths behind Cezanne. Necker Island was fourth and was followed, in order, by Silver Prospector, Mo Mosa, Roadster, Market Analysis, and Law Professor.
Fulsome completed the mile on the fast main track in 1:36.43.
Fulsome had not raced since finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby, his final start of a 2021 campaign that included Grade 3 victories in the Matt Winn and Smarty Jones. His trainer, Brad Cox, decided at that point to give him a freshening in advance of a 4-year-old campaign in 2022.
“I was hoping it would set up like that. Felt good when I saw the half in 45 and change,” Cox said. “He started to pick off horses on the turn, and ran down a very good horse. I’m proud of him.”
Fulsome, a Juddmonte Farms homebred, is by Into Mischief out of the Distorted Humor mare Flourish. The victory was his sixth in 11 starts, and the $240,000 winner’s share increased his career bankroll to $879,324.
:: Want to start playing with a $510 bankroll and have access to free Formulator? Learn more