Geroux controls pace in Caesars Stakes and easily holds off odds-on Tommy Bee
Florent Geroux often rides stakes races for Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox. Wednesday at Horseshoe Indianapolis, it was Geroux beating Cox in a stakes race.
Geroux put Stitched on the lead, set a slow pace, and kicked strongly home, dashing away from odds-on Cox-trained favorite Tommy Bee to win the $150,000 Caesars Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths.
Tommy Bee and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. sat third much of this two-turn turf mile, coming off the rail to take aim at Stitched and his pace rival, Setna the Wise, approaching the half-mile pole. Tommy Bee loomed a winner at the quarter pole, but Geroux and his mount had a surprise in store.
On a rainy afternoon, racing over a grass course rated “good,” Geroux guided his mount through slow fractions of 25.72 and 50.98, an easy pace, even considering conditions and the fact Setna the Wise pressed Stitched most of the trip.
With Slim Slow Slider pushing up four paths wide around the turn, Ortiz had no choice but to go hard past the three-furlong marker with Tommy Bee, who came close to poking his head in front at the end of the far turn. But it was Stitched who cornered far more athletically and efficiently, and before Tommy Bee could come close to responding, Stitched had opened several lengths.
Geroux rode hard to the final 50 yards, saw the race was well in hand, and took his foot off the gas as Stitched coasted home.
“I didn’t have to do much,” Geroux said. “He finished very nicely.”
Tommy Bee, who probably wants to run farther than one mile, had 1 3/4 lengths on Setna the Wise for the place. The winner paid $10 and was timed in 1:37.95.
Stitched was bred by Nathan McCauley, who co-owns him with Michael Olszewski. Racing on dirt, Stitched was beaten more than 30 lengths making his career debut last December, but Travis Foley, assistant to trainer Greg Foley, said he called McCauley to tell him “there’s talent there, I swear.”
Stitched improved on turf and won Wednesday after capturing a rich Churchill Downs first-level grass allowance race.
“We’ve come a long way in six months,” Foley said.
Horseshoe Indianapolis Stakes: Heavenly Hellos upset
Heavenly Hellos, at 36-1 the longest price in a seven-horse field, won the $150,000 Horseshoe Indianapolis Stakes by a neck over late rallying Alittleloveandluck.
Dreamworker finished third as odds-on favorite Bravo Kitten lagged at the rear of the field and could only rally mildly to nab fourth, followed closely by 7-2 shot Lolloping.
Heavenly Hellos ($74.80) had been beaten 33 lengths in her only grass start, which came in her career debut last year at Kentucky Downs. Winless in five starts at age 2, Heavenly Hellos cleared the maiden ranks in a Turfway Park Tapeta Footings mile race to start her 3-year-old season, but then was beaten more than 16 lengths in a Turfway stakes race and most recently had finished last by 42 lengths in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes.
It was a far different story Wednesday racing over a turf course labeled “good” but perhaps wetter than the designation after taking persistent rain through the afternoon.
Delightful Moment set out for the lead, pursued by Dreamworker around the first turn as jockey Edgar Morales on Heavenly Hellos went into the No. 3 path while racing with no cover around the first bend. There the eventual winner stayed as Dreamworker confronted Delightful Moment approaching the quarter pole, Heavenly Hellos following that move.
Dreamworker and Heavenly Hellos battled past the eighth pole, where Heavenly Hellos edged clear, holding off a late surge from Alittleloveandluck, who dove between the winner and the third-place finisher in the final half-furlong.
Heavenly Hellos was timed in 1:38.51 for one mile. Trained by Rey Hernandez, the filly, a $9,000 Keeneland yearling purchase, is by Overanalyze out of Rich Find, by Exploit. She’s owned by Victory Racing Stable and was bred by Upson Downs Farm.
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* Too Bad Justice and Acutely won rich races Wednesday restricted to Indiana-sired 3-year-olds.
Too Bad Justice ($8.40) parlayed a three-wide stalking trip into a 1 1/2-length victory in the $102,300 Sagamore Sired Stakes. Joseph Ramos rode the winner for trainer Marvin Johnson and owners Matt Kwiatkowski, Jason Kaylor, and Roger Browning.
Too Bad Justice, a son of Harry’s Holiday and the Exchange Rate mare Alegra clocked 1:05.01 for 5 1/2 furlongs over a sloppy main track.
Acutely, racing for the first time since September, won the $103,325 Swifty Sired, restricted to fillies, by 4 1/2 lengths under Deshawn Parker.
Another outside pace-pressing winner, Acutely was timed in 1:05.62 and paid $15.20. Ron Raper, who mainly operates a Quarter Horse stable, trains Acutely for CDC Racing and Thomas Mosley Jr.
Acutely is by Sahara Sky out of Admitit, by E Dubai.