Wendell Fong splashes to victory in Gold Fever Stakes

Before Sunday’s $100,000 Gold Fever Stakes, owner Al Gold told trainer Jeremiah Englehart that he’d be happy if Wendell Fong could finish within five lengths of Much Better.

Imagine how happy Gold was after Wendell Fong splashed his way past pacesetting Call Paul in the stretch and cruised to a 2 1/2-length victory in the Gold Fever at sloppy Belmont Park. Call Paul, who set a fast pace, finished second by 1 1/4 lengths over Releasethethunder.

Much Better, the 1-2 favorite trained by Bob Baffert, finished fourth, beaten 19 1/4 lengths. Sombeyay finished last of five.

Mount Travers and Kosciuszko scratched.

The win was the third from four starts for Wendell Fong, a son of Flat Out who had made his three previous starts at Laurel Park.

Wendell Fong’s lone loss came to Preakness-bound Alwaysmining in the Miracle Wood Stakes on Feb. 16. Englehart put blinkers on Wendell Fong for that race because he thought the horse raced too green in his maiden win.

“He got super rank going down the backside, probably took a little starch out of him late in the race,” Englehart said of Wendell Fong’s effort in the Miracle Wood.

Englehart took the blinkers off for a March 15 allowance in which Wendell Fong rallied from third to win.

Sunday, under regular rider Jorge Vargas Jr., Wendell Fong sat third again, outside of Sombeyay while Call Paul ran an opening quarter in 21.81 seconds chased by Much Better.

Much Better, seemingly always under a drive by Javier Castellano, was basically done by the quarter pole while Call Paul seemed to be in hand under Irad Ortiz Jr. despite running a half-mile in 44.69 seconds.

Wendell Fong had advanced inside around the turn, and tipped outside turning for home. As Call Paul began to get leg weary, Wendell Fong leveled off, lengthened his stride, and galloped to victory.

“He’s still playful and a little immature,” Vargas said. “But he’s so smart and does whatever you want him to do. I’m just really grateful. He has showed ability and I think he’s going to keep going forward.”

Wendell Fong, named by Gold for a reference in an episode of the sitcom “Frasier,” covered the six furlongs in 1:10.06 and returned $18 as the third choice.

“I thought the best part of the race was the last 70 yards,” said Englehart, who watched the race with Gold in Saratoga. “I know the first quarter probably caught up with [Call Paul], but he looked like he might have separated himself from [Releasethethunder] who was closing pretty well.”

While the Gold Fever was designed to be a prep for the Grade 1 Woody Stephens on the June 8 Belmont Stakes undercard, Englehart said “we’ll see how he comes out of it and make a decision from there about what’s next.”