Well Defined turns tables on Garter and Tie in In Reality

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Well Defined avenged his frustrating second-place finish behind Garter and Tie in the seven-furlong Affirmed four weeks ago, and did so with a flourish Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Well Defined left that rival in the dust en route to a 7 1/2-length victory in the $400,000 In Reality Stakes, finale of the open division of the Florida Sire Stakes.

Well Defined set a contested pace before succumbing grudgingly to Garter and Tie in the Affirmed. He went to the front once again stretching to 1 1/16 miles for the first time in the In Reality, and set a modest pace under clever rating by jockey Carlos Montalvo. Well Defined easily disposed of his early pursuers on the second turn and was never threatened thereafter, extending his advantage under urging to the wire.

Garter and Tie was shuffled back a bit between horses on the first turn and raced within easy striking distance down the backstretch. He was put to a drive to go after the leader near the three-eighths pole, and while no match for that rival, was easily second-best. Gump passed tired rivals at the end to finish third.

Well Defined, a Stonehedge homebred by With Distinction, is trained by Kathleen O’Connell, who had saddled the winners of 10 previous Sire Series races, but had never won the In Reality until Saturday.

Well Defined covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.97, his final time 2.53 seconds faster than Cookie Dough completed the distance capturing the My Dear Girl an hour earlier. He paid $12.20.

“I always liked him,” said O’Connell. “He’s always proved he had a lot of talent, but he’s like a mischievous Dennis the Menace. It was just a matter of getting it all to come together at the right time. I had a lot of confidence in him today – I liked him better going further, it’s so much easier than the hoopla of the shorter races. I was happy when I saw the fractions, but you never stop worrying or cheering until the wire.”

O’Connell said she and owner Gil Campbell of Stonehedge “would enjoy today” and see how Well Defined came out of the race before discussing the possibility of going to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3.