Looms Boldly leads the way in Damon Runyon Stakes
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Looms Boldly is better when he’s free-wheeling on the lead, something he proved again Sunday with a front-running, half-length victory in the $100,000 Damon Runyon Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-olds at Aqueduct.
Aggressively handled by Manny Franco, Looms Boldly held a half-length advantage over Andiamo a Firenze through a quarter in 23.39 seconds and a half-mile in 46.42. Though he opened up a 2 1/2-length margin in midstretch, Looms Boldly had to hold off a resurgent Andiamo a Firenze to secure the victory. It was 4 1/4 lengths back to favored What’s Up Bro in third. D’ont Lose Cruz and Bobby Ride completed the order of finish. East Coast Girl scratched.
The win was the second from four starts for Looms Boldly, a son of Goldencents owned by Marshall Gramm’s Ten Strike Racing and trained by Brad Cox. He won his maiden in his second start last Nov. 12 in front-running fashion. Following a three-month layoff, he finished third behind What’s Up Bro in a first-level allowance, on a day in which he couldn’t make the lead.
Dustin Dugas, the New York-based assistant to Cox, said he and Franco both agreed that Looms Boldy likely needed his last race and that he didn’t like being behind horses last out.
“He wasn’t that comfortable sitting off the pace, so Manny made sure to be really aggressive today and it panned out,” Dugas told NYRA publicity.
Franco said he took advantage of Looms Boldly’s fast getaway from the gate.
“He broke so sharp and I went with him because I won on the lead with him before,’ Franco said. “That’s what I did and he took me all the way to the wire. In the stretch, my horse was getting a little tired in the end, but at the same time he was giving me all he had.”
Looms Boldly covered six furlongs in 1:13.75 and returned $13.40 as the fourth choice in the five-horse field.
The win was the second on the card for Franco, who takes a 61-53 lead over Dylan Davis atop the standings for Aqueduct’s winter meet heading into the final three days of the meet.
Live racing resumes Friday with an eight-race card beginning at 1:20 p.m.
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