Litfin's review: Breezy day

Sunday, May 4 review

BLUSTERY END TO FIRST WEEK

The wind was a major factor, as the fields ran through a stiff headwind down the backstretch that slowed early fractions.

Jonata (1st, $18) got a useful sharpener when she ran third behind winning stablemate Bridgehampton in her 4-year-old debut at Aqueduct on March 23.

Today, she ran down a game Superior Sarah late, and became the second winner of the week to make her second start back from a layoff for Barry Schwartz and Mike Hushion, joining Mei Ling ($9.10), who took the meet opener Thursday.

Later on, Jonata’s older half-brother Jonesy Boy picked up fourth money in the $100,000 Drosselmeyer Stakes behind front-end winner Ground Transport ($6.10).

BRIDGE-JUMPERS TAKE A BATH IN GOLD FEVER

There was no show wagering on the $100,000 Gold Fever Stakes, as the six-furlong race for 3-year-old sprinters scratched down to four wagering interests, but bridge-jumpers loaded up on the 1-4 Coolmore Stable entry of Havana and The Admiral in the back-up slot, to the tune of $255,806 from a total place pool of $275,921.

In the running, Favorite Tale overtook Pure Sensation through a faster-than-it-looks half-mile in 46 seconds and edged away to prevail by a length over that stubborn opponent.

Havana, making his first start since running second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, could make no appreciable headway in the lane and settled for third, with The Admiral a tired fourth after chasing early into the wind.

As a result, Favorite Tale paid $8.50 to win as the second choice, and more than three times that - $27.60 – to place. Pure Sensation, who has never finished out of the money, returned $34.20 to place.

The Gold Fever served as a prep for the Grade 2, $500,000 Woody Stephens on June 7.

HORSE TO WATCH

TAPITATION
Trainer: Eddie Kenneally
Last race: May 4, 2nd
Finish: 2nd by 1
Beyer: 77

As the chart denotes, this 3-year-old colt “put on quite a show” while fighting the rider and climbing through the backstretch run. He settled down a bit on the turn, and turned in a solid finish behind a winning front-runner who set leisurely fractions.