|
Bevy's Best proved to be the best Nebraska-bred on Saturday as the four-year-old gelding garnered a lead out of the starting gate and cruised to a two-length win in the $25,000 added Ogataul Stakes at Fonner Park.
The gelding shook off an early challenge by Did on the backstretch, then opened up a lead entering the stretch and was able to cruise to victory over longshot closers Justabit Shawklit and Coyanosa. Owned by Dr. Tim Munson de Pascua and trained by Larry Staroscik of Columbus, Bevy's Best covered the six furlong time in a season best 1:12:20.
Staroscik huddled with rider Larren Delorme before the race and plotted out plan A.
"Plan A was to see if we could get to the lead without taking too much out of him," Staroscik said. "I told Larren to see if we could get him out easily."
Delorme broke Bevy's Best on top and was happy with the way his mount got to the lead.
"He broke well, but he was really relaxed on the lead," Delorme said. "I just kind of sat on him. He was so relaxed, when I asked him to run on the turn, he still had a lot left."
From his viewing point Staroscik wasn't quite as confident.
"I saw Herb Rieken's horse (Justabit Shawklit) coming at us, and I was concerned we might not have enough left for a battle in the stretch," Staroscik said. "But Bevy dug down and ran down the stretch nicely.
"This was an exceptional bunch of horses we beat today. I would be proud to own or train any of the horses in this field."
Bevy's Best earned his connections $15,600 for the win. As the second favorite in the betting, Bevy's Best returned $7.80 to win. The exotics payoffs were big as a Bevy's Best-Justabit Shawklit exacta returned $141.00, and the trifecta with Coyanosa running third returned a whopping $6,362.20 for a $1ticket.
Staroscik felt that giving his young horse some time off helped in his development.
"After Columbus last year we gave him 100 days off," Staroscik said," "We started training him in Grand Island in the first week of January."
"I wasn't sure we had enough training in him with the bad weather, but everyone else was pretty much in the same boat," Staroscik said.
Hoofprints
* The dynamic duo of trainer Milton Gaede and jockey Beth Butler continued their winning ways, as the two teamed up for three wins on the day. Gaede and Butler scored with Shesoso in the second race, Hooligan in the fourth race, and Dancing Fantasy in the nightcap.
* Hooligan was the first horse this year to win three races at Fonner.
* Chris Fackler rode back-to-back winners in the fourth and fifth races on Sneakalilpeak and Mister Quigley, respectively.
* Pyro won the $600,000 Louisiana Derby, paying $3.60 to win.
* The 2007 two-year-old filly of the year, Indian Blessing, lost for the first time in her career as she ran second to Proud Spell in the Fair Grounds Oaks.
* Grand Island native Kelly Von Hemel's Semaphore Man ran second in the $160,000 Duncan Kenner Stakes in New Orleans. Defeating Semaphore Man was the undefeated Euroears.
Want to comment on this article?
Register on our forums and post your thoughts.
It's free and easy to do!
independentforums.com
|
