Hit Show makes older-horse statement in Fayette Stakes
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The Breeders’ Cup Classic next Saturday pits the cream of the 3-year-old crop – Sovereignty, Journalism, Baeza – against a fearsome foursome of older horses – Fierceness, Forever Young, Mindframe, Sierra Leone. Call the Fayette Stakes at Keeneland a Triple-A preview of the World Series. And on this Saturday, advantage older horses.
Five-year-old Hit Show, rebounding from a flat fourth last month in the Lukas Classic, scored a one-length victory over 6-year-old Rattle N Roll in the Grade 3, $350,000 Fayette.
Rattle N Roll rattled home on the far outside, coming from last of 11 to get up by a neck over 3-year-old Gosger, who was two lengths better than fourth-place Bracket Buster, another 3-year-old. Gosger earlier this year finished second behind Journalism in both the Preakness Stakes and the Haskell Stakes. Bracket Buster was second in the Travers, roughly a time zone behind Sovereignty, before winning the Oklahoma Derby.
Hit Show added another data point to a most unusual and lucrative campaign for trainer Brad Cox and Wathnan Racing, the Qatari-based operation that bought Hit Show partway through his 4-year-old season and in April won the $12 million Dubai World Cup with the horse. Hit Show in June could not come close to contention in the Stephen Foster Stakes, where Mindframe beat Sierra Leone, and barely won the West Virginia Governor’s Cup before his modest Lukas Classic showing.
Hit Show looked like a different horse Saturday. Ridden for the first time by Irad Ortiz Jr., Hit Show worked out a good trip despite breaking from post 11, and made the most of it. Ortiz had little trouble meandering into the No. 2 path before the first turn, settling Hit Show in sixth behind Dilger’s strong contested pace. Best Actor, a far longer shot than 37-1 Dilger, tracked from second as the Cox-trained Dragoon Guard stacked up three wide, Gosger taking the worst of things, going four wide around the first turn and onto the backstretch.
Dilger hit the half-mile in 46.66, and, bending into the turn, Ortiz pushed forward, going between a flagging Best Actor and Bracket Buster, as Hit Show, typically a grinder, was poised in the bridle, already looking like a winner. Ortiz followed Dragoon Guard into the homestretch as Dilger threw in the towel, steering outside to get through a narrowing gap between Dragoon Guard and Bracket Buster, and even as Gosger took Dragoon Guard’s measure, Hit Show was passing him on the outside. Rattle N Roll, who looped much of the field through the second part of the far turn before getting pushed some 10 paths wide in upper stretch, was finishing fastest, but Hit Show comfortably held him clear.
Hit Show, second choice behind 17-10 favorite Gosger and just slightly shorter than Bracket Buster, paid $9.14 to win, getting his 1 1/8 miles over a fast track in 1:50.39.
Gary and Mary West bred Hit Show and campaigned him until Wathnan bought the horse. Hit Show is by Candy Ride out of Actress, by Tapit, and you might not realize what an excellent career he’s put together, the Fayette being his 11th win from 22 starts. Hit Show has traveled the world - and twice raced at Mountaineer Park! – and on this Saturday, he was too much for the sophomore set.
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