Officiating rallies, upsets Endorsed in Mr. Prospector
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Officiating, who had never won a race over a fast main track but had been training lights-out over the surface coming into Saturday’s $100,000 Mr. Prospector, ran to his recent fast works and rallied to a three-quarter-length decision over the 9-5 favorite Endorsed in the Grade 3 dash for older horses.
Dennis’ Moment finished third.
Officiating entered the Mr. Prospector with two wins in 13 lifetime starts, his victories coming in a statebred maiden race on turf here last winter and the Bears Den Stakes decided over a sloppy track on September 5.
But with Luis Saez aboard for the first time, Officiating broke well to stalk a crisp early pace set by stablemate Wind of Change, rallied three wide to wrest command into the stretch, edged clear, then withstood a final rally by Endorsed. The latter raced near the rear of the seven-horse field during the early stages of the seven-furlong Mr. Prospector, finished willingly down the center of the course, but could not get to the winner.
Dennis’ Moment, returning locally for the first time since finishing 10th and last as the 6-5 favorite in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth nearly 10 months ago, joined the leaders while widest into the stretch but could not sustain the run, finishing another half-length farther back in third.
Officiating, a homebred son of Blame owned by Peter Vegaso, completed the distance over a fast track in 1:22.28 and paid $16.80.
“On paper he didn’t look fast enough, but the way he’d trained so good over a fast track I told the owner we’re either going to win or he’s going to get beat 20 lengths, but we’ve got to try,” trainer Saffie Joseph said. “I really pressed on him with faster works and he worked super, as good as any horse could work on the dirt. I thought Wind of Change might be a little short, he lacked a work or two, but the way the race came up I had to give him a shot.”
Joseph said he plans to keep Officiating at one turn, while adding that he believes Officiating might even be better yet stretching out to a flat mile rather than seven-eighths.