Raging Whiskey never threatened in Capote Stakes

CYPRESS, Calif. – Raging Whiskey led throughout Saturday’s $75,000 Capote Stakes for 2-year-olds at six furlongs at Los Alamitos, ending a three-race losing streak in stakes.

Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, Raging Whiskey set a quick early pace of 21.55 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.56 for a half-mile and pulled well clear in the final furlong.

Raging Whiskey ($8.60) won by eight lengths over Dapper in a field of seven, covering 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.61. He earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 77.

“He broke pretty clean,” Bejarano said. “He took the lead. I tried to get him to relax and he was very cool.

“I felt the pressure about the three-eighths pole and I asked him a bit. I had plenty of horse.”

Dapper (5-1) closed from fourth to finish second, 4 1/4 lengths in front of 26-1 Georgian Road.

Tap Back finished fourth, followed by Prince Magician, Side Street Dave, and Hydrogen, the 7-10 favorite. Hydrogen stalked the pace on the inside to early stretch and faded quickly.

The Capote Stakes was restricted to 2-year-old colts and geldings who had not won a first-place of $50,000 or more in a stakes.

Raging Whiskey raced with blinkers. He was not fitted with the equipment when last of five in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf at a mile on Sept. 1.

Raging Whiskey won his second start in a maiden special weight at Santa Anita on June 2 and was listed as bought back for $120,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita 2-year-olds in-training sale three days later.

By Bourbon Courage, Raging Whiskey was third in the Grade 3 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga on July 13 in his first start for his current owners – Charles Bartlett and Pappas Horse Racing – and trainer Doug O’Neill. Raging Whiskey was later sixth in the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 10 before the last-place finish in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf.

Raging Whiskey has won 2 of 6 starts and earned $107,756.