Harrodsburg earns hard-fought victory in Bango
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A horse named Harrodsburg won his career debut, a straight maiden race at Aqueduct, in March 2023. About six weeks later, he took a tough loss in a first-level allowance, earning a 99 Beyer Speed Figure – graded-stakes level stuff.
The horse’s body, his raw talent, apparently never was the issue. His brain, his behavior, there lay the bugaboo. That, trainer Michael Tomlinson believes, is why he was able to claim the horse, on behalf of owners Rod Hatfield and Bud Hatfield, for $50,000 in May 2024. Harrodsburg has not run for a claiming tag since, and on Saturday he won the Grade 3 Bango Stakes by three-quarters of a length over Built.
Luis Saez put Harrodsburg right on the lead, and his mount refused to be passed.
“He’s a fighter,” Saez said.
Six-year-old Harrodsburg was gelded long before he made his career debut at age 3, and graded wins mean nothing for his future, but this was a $275,000 stakes on the big Stephen Foster Stakes card. Tomlinson ran his first horse at Churchill way back in 1993. The Bango marked his first graded-stakes win here since 2007, his third ever. Tomlinson has operated a successful stable and had legit stakes horses in the past, but the game has become increasingly difficult to navigate for veteran stables such as his.
“For a little country boy from Oklahoma, it’s really kind of emotional,” Tomlinson said.
Tomlinson and his crew have put in the time and effort with Harrodsburg, who used to be particularly unruly in the paddock before racing. Saturday, he kept his cool before the race, then went out and set a tepid pace that chasing Built could not overcome.
“All the work we’ve done on him has paid off,” Tomlinson said.
The top two were much the best, U Devil You coming from last of six to finish third, three lengths behind Built, who stalked the pace and made a wide bid on the turn and into the stretch of the 6 1/2-furlong Bango.
Harrodsburg, to be fair, capitalized on favorable circumstances. The horse absolutely loves a wet track and caught a muddy one Saturday, and Cornucopian, a pace rival and the sure favorite, was an early scratch from the Bango. Dr. Venkman, the 2-1 second choice behind 9-5 favorite Built, floundered in his first start over a wet track and checked in last. And Harrodsburg, a habitual front-runner, made an easy, clear lead, going his first quarter-mile in 22.90.
“Going down the backside, I hate to say I was confident, but his ears were helicoptering and he was looking around and relaxed, and I thought, man, they might be in trouble here,” Tomlinson said.
Harrodsburg, a son of Constitution and the Exchange Rate mare Gracer, clocked 1:15.95 and paid $8.90 to win. The victory, judging by his heartfelt reaction, was priceless to the trainer.
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