Wound Tight can't be caught in Unusual Heat Turf Classic

ARCADIA, Calif. – Wound Tight proved too difficult to catch in his stakes debut in the $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Allowed to set a slow pace, Wound Tight ($8) pulled away from seven California-bred rivals to record a comprehensive win by 3 1/2 lengths over Ward ‘n Jerry, the 2-1 favorite.

“He’s fun,” said winning jockey Abel Cedillo said. “It’s good when you have no one chasing you. He never gets tired.”

Wound Tight ran 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:48.24 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 92.

The outcome was not a surprise. Wound Tight was the second choice.

Cedillo had Wound Tight in front by a length after an opening quarter-mile in 23.39 seconds and a half-mile in 48.62. Cono, a 34-1 outsider, moved within a half-length of Wound Tight on the turn, but could not sustain the rally through the stretch.

Ward ‘n Jerry closed from sixth to be nearest the winner at the finish. Ward ‘n Jerry broke form the rail and raced between horses on the backstretch under jockey Umberto Rispoli. On the turn, Ward ‘n Jerry moved closer to the front, but was never able to challenge the winner.

Rispoli did not have the trip he wanted.

“I wanted to sit outside the leader,” Rispoli said. “The winner robbed the race from the start.”

Cono finished third, followed by Ashleyluvssugar, The Hunted, Desmond Doss, Accountability, and Mobou.

Wound Tight, a 5-year-old Coil gelding owned by Matt Nelson and trained by Bob Hess, Jr., has won 4 of 10 starts and earned $266,340. The Unusual Heat Turf Classic was Wound Tight’s second consecutive victory, preceded by a nose win in allowance race with a $40,000 claiming option against open company at Del Mar on Dec. 1.