Yonkers: Foiled Again reunites with Gingras in search of 100th win

“He helped take me to the next level as a driver.”

Such were the words of Yannick Gingras, who takes a seat behind Foiled Again as the sport’s richest-ever equine is invading Yonkers Raceway in search of his 100th career victory.

Foiled Again returns to the Westchester wars Thursday night (Feb. 1), leaving from post position No. 5 in the $20,000 eighth-race pace. The 14-year-old Dragon Again gelding makes the 306th purse start of his $7.5 million career.

“I can’t say enough about him,” Gingras said. “There were seven or eight seasons, starting when he as a 4-year-old, when he was among the best in the sport, which to me is amazing.

“He’s not the biggest or the fastest, but I’ve never driven one that had his desire . . . and the way he wins, it’s usually a rough trip. I don’t think he’s ever been second-over. He’d rather grind his way into it and battle.

Not to mention he’s smarter than the average bear.

“He never exerts himself until he has to,” Gingras said. “If you’d allow it, he’d go a second quarter in 35 seconds, but right around the five-eighths or three-quarters, when he hears or sees someone coming, he picks up the bit and the switch goes on.”

Foiled Again won his 99th race here in his mid-January, final-season debut, but his first crack at 'Century City' did not go well, as in a non-factor sixth. George Brennan was the driver for both efforts.

“That’s another thing about him,” Gingras said. “Some horses, if they race poorly, it seem to affect them for a month. ‘Foiled,’ nothing seems to bother him.

“It would be fitting to do it here (Yonkers). He’s won the (George Morton) Levy Series twice (2009-10) and he always gets around the track well, probably because he rides the left line just enough”.

“I can’t lie, I hope I’m the one who gets him to 100,” Gingras said. “I told (co-owner/trainer) Ronnie (Burke) to try and schedule him when I can drive him.

“I’m looking forward to seeing him Thursday. He’s just been such a big part of the my career.”

-Frank Drucker for Yonkers Raceway