Pimlico Special: First Captain keeps grinding to nail favored Vindictive on wire
%20just%20gets%20up%20to%20beat%20Vindictive%20in%20the%20Pimlico%20Special%20on%20May%2020%202022.ESH_.jpg)
BALTIMORE - An equipment change, a distance change, and a rider change all conspired to change the fortunes of First Captain, who, following a last-place finish in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct six weeks ago, rallied past an unlucky Vindictive to win Friday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Pimlico Special by a head.
Vindictive, the even-money favorite who stumbled at the start, finished second by 1 1/4 lengths over his stablemate Untreated. The second- and third-place finishers are trained by Todd Pletcher.
The win was the fifth from seven starts for First Captain, a 4-year-old son of Curlin who sold for $1.5 million as a yearling in Saratoga. He was purchased by West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm, Woodford Racing, and Bobby Flay, the latter who is the breeder of the colt.
“We like to show up on big days and over the years as we’ve gotten better quality horses, I think you just try to be in contention in races like this,” said Terry Finley, president of West Point. “Over the years, we’ve gotten better and better and obviously we’ve won some big races, but this is really a special race.”
It was the first victory in this race for the Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, who said he had this race in mind for First Captain before the Carter. Though he didn’t have much of an excuse for First Captain’s last-place finish in the Carter, he decided to train the horse in blinkers and “I liked what I saw,” he said.
:: Get Preakness Betting Strategies by for exclusive wagering insight, contender analysis, and more
Finley, in the Pimlico winner’s circle, said after First Captain’s first work in blinkers, McGaughey texted him “Very good work. . . . Coming from Shug that’s like over the mountaintop.”
Jose Ortiz, had ridden First Captain in his first six starts, but apparently was committed to ride Fearless, a horse who ultimately did not enter this race. McGaughey summoned Luis Saez to ride.
Saez had First Captain sixth, about six lengths and five wide down the backside. The pace was pedestrian as Untreated, breaking from post 2, ran an opening half-mile in 49.80 seconds under Joel Rosario, with Workin On a Dream stalking from second and Vindictive, having recovered from his early stumble, in third under Irad Ortiz Jr.
In the middle of the far turn, Saez said he was pushed out some by Vindictive and Saez thought he was done at that point.
“But I kept riding,” Saez said. “He gave that kind of move at the top of the stretch and when he [got] in the clear he just kept coming.”
First Captain caught Vindictive in the final strides, as he completed 1 3/16 miles in 1:56.24 and returned $12 as the third choice. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 98.
“He wants to run a distance of ground and two turns, the blinkers probably made him more focused,” McGaughey said by phone from New York. “I didn’t want him up on the pace, I wanted him a little bit off. I don’t know if that’s why he ran bad in the Carter, maybe we had him a little bit too close.”
Vindictive was sent off the even-money favorite based on a sharp allowance victory in his 4-year-old debut and three wins at 1 1/8 miles. After his stumbling start, Vindictive got in a good position, had to work to overtake his pacesetting stablemate Untreated, but just got caught in the shadow of the wire.
“He was in a perfect position,” Ortiz said. “He was moving great so I let him do his thing, he responded really well, he fought back but it was too late. He just stumbled a little bit, maybe it cost me, maybe not. He did everything good.”
Untreated finished 7 1/4 lengths clear of fourth-place finisher Workin On a Dream. Mohaafeth was fifth, followed, in order, by Treasure Trove, Mischief Afoot, Excellorator, Capocostello, and Forewarned. Shooger Ray Too scratched.