Witty wins Van Clief, Hollywood Walk takes Andy Guest
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Maryland shippers had the best of things in two turf sprint stakes Saturday in Virginia, where Witty won the $153,600 Van Clief Stakes and Hollywood Walk captured the $152,400 Andy Guest at Colonial Downs.
Witty’s dramatic last-to-first rally in the Van Clief looked more impressive, but Hollywood Walk ran a touch quicker, 1:02.35 to 1:02.52 for 5 1/2 furlongs on a firm course.
Witty dropped quickly back to last of eight in the Van Clief, ran last down the backstretch, still was last at the three-furlong marker, and did not pass a single horse until he hit the furlong pole. But by then, Witty was flying.
Beautifully lengthening his long, gray stride, Witty ran his final half-furlong in less than 5.50 seconds and got up by a neck over Had to Have Him, a 10-1 shot who rallied from eighth. Another half-length found 11-1 chance Step Forward in third. Slight favorite Horsepower loomed wide at the five-sixteenths marker but faded to fourth, though he did much better than close second choice Nothing Better, who pressed the pace before finishing a distant last.
Jaime Rodriguez rode Witty, who finished a close second in this race a year ago, for trainer Ann Merryman, who co-owns Witty with Marc Detampel and bred the 5-year-old gelding herself. Witty ($8), a son of Great Notion and the Congrats mare Zeezee Zoomzoom, won for the 11th time in 33 starts.
Hollywood Walk, based like Witty at the Fair Hill training center in Maryland, also rallied from well off the pace but did so in less dramatic fashion. Saving ground throughout the Andy Guest under Mychel Sanchez, Hollywood Walk found an inside path for her sustained rally, wearing down the pacesetter, Bosserati, and holding clear a run from 7-10 favorite Mrs. Gambolini, who fell three-quarters of a length short. Cart Girl Sam was another 1 1/2 lengths back in third.
Michael Trombetta, aces with turf sprinters, trains Hollywood Walk for the heirs of the late R. Larry Johnson, who bred the 6-year-old mare in Maryland. Second in the 2024 renewal of the Andy Guest, Hollywood Walk in her 25th start won her first stakes race, paying $19 in so doing, and enhancing her value as a broodmare. Hollywood Walk is by Animal Kingdom and out of the Street Sense mare Walk of Stars, dam of the Grade 1-winning 4-year-old Mindframe.
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