Shake You Down wins True North for fourth in row

On Saturday, Shake You Down ran his winning streak to four in the Grade 2, $190,000 at Belmont Park by doing what he does best. He went to the lead and refused to let anyone catch him.

Shake You Down, a 5-year-old colt by Montbrook, has now won four races in a row. He is unbeaten since being claimed by trainer Scott Lake for $65,000 on March 12, and his Beyer Speed Figures and performances have Lake thinking about the Breeders' Cup Sprint in October, even though the horse is not nominated.

In the six-furlong True North, Shake You Down, the 4-5 favorite, fought with Giovannetti through early fractions of 21.52 and 44.05 seconds for the first four furlongs. Giovannetti called it quits, but Shake You Down kept going to win by a length over the closer Highway Prospector in 1:09.59 over the extremely sloppy going. Vodka was third, 4 1/2 lengths back. Shake You Down paid $3.70 to win.

"He got to looking around a little bit" in the last eighth of a mile, said jockey Mike Luzzi, who rode Shake You Down. "But then he got going again. I don't think it was a real big deal."

Shake You Down, who is owned by Robert Cole, was given a monthlong break after being claimed by Lake, and during that time, the colt gained 200 pounds, Lake said. Lake said he couldn't explain why Shake You Down suddenly blossomed.

Shake You Down's long-term goal is now the six-furlong Breeders' Cup Sprint. Lake said he hasn't decided where to run the horse next.

Shake You Down had posted Beyer Speed Figures of 118 in two of his three races before the True North, the best in the country at any distance up to a mile.