Meadowlands: Force N Fury charges to Kindergarten Classic Series title

Force N Fury scored his first career stakes win in tonight's $172,000 Kindergarten Classic Series final for 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers at the Meadowlands, rallying off cover and a hot pace to prevail in 1:50 2/5. Trainer Tony Alagna, who sent out six of the ten horses in the field, finished first and second.

Major Betts (Dexter Dunn) blasted to the front from post five and laid down a quick opening quarter in 26 4/5, and the pace stayed hot from there as Alagna-trained Chief Mate (Mitchell Cushing) vacated the cones from third to press Major Betts. Dunn had no intention of letting anybody go, though, and left out Chief Mate, though he was able to scramble into the pocket past the 53 4/5 half.

Another Alagna trainee in Captain Barbossa (Andrew McCarthy) took up the chase first-over from fourth on the final turn, but he was only able to get into a joint second with his stablemate at the 1:21 3/5 three-quarters as Major Betts continued to front the field. Ideal Perception (Joe Bongiorno) was tracking his Alagna Armada companion from second-over, and Force N Fury (Victor Kirby) was poised third-over.

Kirby cut Force N Fury loose three-wide coming off the final bend, and the fractions began to catch up with Major Betts in the lane. He weakened and Force N Fury came alive, rolling by him and opening up to prevail by a couple lengths. Sea Of Life (Greg Merton) advanced from fourth-over to complete the Alagna exacta, with Major Betts, Captain Barbossa, and Rolling With Sam (Andy Miller) completing the top five.

"Both starts that I got to drive him he felt real strong off of a helmet, so I just figured if I could get live cover, which happened, and a fast pace up front that he could punch home," remarked Kirby. "He punched home strong, and he's impressed me both weeks that I got to drive him. I've got to thank Tony for the opportunity for this. In the first turn they were going at it pretty hard, and that's all I needed was a lively pace and then a little bit of cover. I had to tip a little earlier than I wanted to at the head of the lane, but when I called on him, he really responded.

"I was kind of cautious with him (the last two weeks) just because I didn't know him that well. Getting to know him and being more familiar with him, I knew what he could do. Both weeks he was finishing hard at the wire. He just missed by a nose the one week, and last week the horse that beat him, the stablemate, raced super, so he got beat fair and square. Tonight was his turn."

Force N Fury is a Captaintreacherous colt owned by Marvin Katz, Brad Grant, and Al Libfeld. This was Force N Fury's second career victory, and he has now earned $104,248. Bred by White Birch Farm and purchased for $300,000 at last year's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, Force N Fury is out of the Dragon Again mare My Little Dragon (1:48 1/5, $2,318,623), making Force N Fury a three-quarter brother to Stay Hungry (1:47 3/5, $1,303,709). Force N Fury was sent off at 5-1 and paid $13.80 to win.