Lochte asserts class advantage in The Vid win

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Lochte, the only Grade 1 winner in the field, asserted his class, overcoming an unlucky trip to register a popular half-length victory over Dreams Cut Short in Saturday’s $90,000 The Vid Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Lochte had to steady along a couple of times lacking room near the inside during the opening six furlongs of the one-mile The Vid before angling sharply to the extreme outside entering the stretch to find clearance for his bid. Lochte, who went postward as the co-highweight under 123 pounds, then unleashed a steady rally down the center of a “good” turf course to overtake Grand Tito before withstanding a late surge from Dreams Cut Short. Lochte was guided to victory by regular rider Orlando Bochachica.

Dreams Cut Short lagged near the rear of the field while saving ground early, swung widest of all advancing into the stretch, and fell just short with his rally while finishing outside the winner. Grand Tito finished another three parts of a length farther back after moving to a clear lead in early stretch.

The Vid was Lochte’s first victory since he upset the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap here Feb. 9. Trained by Marcus Vitali for the Crossed Sabres Farm LLC, Lochte paid $6.00.

“He had a little traffic, but I was pretty confident coming into it,” said Vitali. “I thought he might even need the race. But I figured even needing it that he really excels here, and today, he showed again he loves the course and that he was the class of the field.”

Bochachica said he was hoping to get good position and wait a bit before making his run.

“I got into some traffic and had to wait longer than I wanted,” said Bocachica, who also was aboard Lochte for his victory in the Gulfstream Park Turf. “I was waiting, waiting. Finally, I got him out, and he just carried me to the front.”

Vitali said he had nothing picked out at the moment for Lochte’s next start.