Governor Sam regains winning form in Quick Call
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - When Irad Ortiz Jr. worked Governor Sam last week on the turf, the jockey loved the way the horse relaxed, and Ortiz wanted to try to get the speedy colt to do just that when he rode him in Sunday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Quick Call Stakes at Saratoga.
With two horses showing more speed than Governor Sam out of the gate, Ortiz let Governor Sam settle into third position, two lengths off the early lead. It was not something Governor Sam had previously done. But when Ortiz pulled him into the clear turning for home, Governor Sam took off, seized control at the eighth pole and drew clear to a convincing 3 1/2-length victory in the Quick Call. Ortley Avenue, who was part of that pace, held second by a half-length over No Evidence, who nosed out Insubordination for fourth as trainer George Weaver sent out the 1-2-4 finishers in the six-horse field.
It was the fifth career victory from eight starts for Governor Sam, fourth in a stakes and first as a 3-year-old after losing his first two starts this year.
“A lot of people were saying maybe he didn’t come back as good and that’s a legitimate thing,” Weaver said. “Two-year-old racing is like high school athletics, 3-year-olds is like college and then the older horses are the pros. Some horses don’t make that transition, but everything he was telling me was he had. He was bigger, stronger, sounder; he’s been doing really well, so I think the third race off the form cycle, he’s a big, heavy horse and he really produced a big effort today.”
Ortley Avenue, breaking from the outside under Eric Cancel, showed the most early speed and ran an opening quarter in 21.71 seconds and was joined by Supersonic Blue after a half-mile in 44.58 seconds.
Ortiz had Governor Sam behind that duo before tipping to the outside. By the eighth pole, Ortley Avenue had put away Supersonic Blue - who faded to last - but was no match for his stablemate as Governor Sam, who opened up and drew clear.
Governor Sam, a son of Improbable owned by Alex Bregman and Swinbank Stables, covered 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:02.68 over turf labeled good and returned $3.50 as the favorite.
“He relaxed the other day really nice in the morning, I was looking forward to riding him that way if I could and we got lucky, everything came out great,” said Ortiz, who rode three winners on Sunday’s card. “They came out ahead of me, I didn’t have to do much, I just let my horse relax, I don’t have to use him, I don’t have to take back either. He switched off and the rest was all about him.”
With Governor Sam 2 for 2 at Saratoga, it’s likely he would make his next start in the Grade 3, $175,000 Mahony Stakes at this same 5 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 10.
“That’s the logical spot, I would probably vote for that, I’ll talk with Alez,” Weaver said. “At some point we want to put him in position to maybe run in the Breeders’ Cup [Turf Sprint] against olders. He’ll have to keep stepping it up, but he’s a good turf sprinter and today we learned he doesn’t need the lead, so we’re pretty excited about him.”
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