Shrewd Move draws off in Bienvenidos Stakes

PHOENIX – Shrewd Move ($3.20) stamped himself an early favorite for the Turf Paradise meet marquee event, the Phoenix Gold Cup in February, with a handy victory in the opening-day $30,000 Bienvenidos Stakes at the Phoenix track on Saturday.

Owned by Yeaman’s Racing Stables LLC and trained by Dan McFarlane, Shrewd Move, a 5-year-old gelded son of Kentucky Derby runner-up Closing Argument, broke sharply to duel early with defending winner Kaabraaj in the 6 1/2-furlong event, got the better of that foe into the lane under Leslie Mawing, and drew off to win comfortably by 2 1/4 lengths. Madiba stalked in fourth and ran on for second, though he was never a danger to the winner, while Storm Power stalked in third and loomed a threat into the lane before finishing evenly for third. Kaabraaj tired to fourth in the field of seven.

Shrewd Move ran the distance in 1:14.77 and paid $3.20 as the heavy 3-5 favorite. The winner’s share of $18,228 pushes his earnings to $241,499 from 10 wins in 38 starts. Six of those wins have come at Turf Paradise. The $30,000 Luke Kruytbosch here at six furlongs on Nov. 11 could be next.