Horse Racing News is the source of thoroughbred racing information with horse racing odds, betting tips, racing picks, race results, and handicapping. Latest news and articles on top horse racing contenders, jockeys, trainers, three-year-olds, race tracks, and major stakes races such as the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes as well as the Breeders' Cup horse races.Kentucky Derby Prep Race Results: Awesome Act Wins The Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct March 6
Posted on Saturday, March 6th, 2010
English import Awesome Act took a major step forward on the Triple Crown trail Saturday afternoon at Aqueduct Racetrack, charging to an impressive victory over 9 other Kentucky Derby hopefuls to take the $250,000 Gotham Stakes (G3) in his first start on dirt.
Ridden by Eclipse Award-winning jockey Julien Leparoux, the son of 1998 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Awesome Again stayed well off fractions of 22.85 and 46.60 set by Wow Wow Wow, moved up willingly four-wide on the turn and then powered to the front in midstretch for a 1 1/4-length win over Yawanna Twist.
“He did everything perfect,” said jockey Julien Leparoux of the colt, who despite having only run on turf and synthetic surfaces was sent off as the 5-2 horse betting favorite. “He was beyond good on the dirt; it didn’t matter to him at all. He just did everything on his own, he put me in the right spots, and then he just finished very nice.”
Awesome Act’s Gotham Stakes winning time for the 1 1/16th miles was 1:43.85 over a fast inner track as he made his first start since finishing a fast-closing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last November at Santa Anita. Following that race, he returned to England to train, arriving in New York on Wednesday for his 2010 debut.
“It’s the first hurdle out of the way, so the dream lives on,” said winning trainer Jeremy Noseda, who is based at Newmarket, England. “We’ll be back for the [Grade 1, $750,000] Wood Memorial [April 3].”
Although Awesome Act’s lone victory prior to the Gotham was in a maiden race on turf in England last year, Noseda said the colt’s connections have long believed he could be a contender for the Kentucky Derby 2010.
“We had the discussion about him possibly being a Derby horse after the Breeders’ Cup,” said Noseda. “I stood up and said, ‘I believe I can do it from Europe.’ Now, he’s been in America and we can move forward.”
Awesome Act returned $7.70 for a $2 win bet as he earned $150,000 for his co-owners, Mrs. Susan Roy and Vinery Stables. His record stands at 2-2-1 from seven starts with earnings of $221,691.
Yawanna Twist, who came into the race off a pair of inner-track victories, closed well to finish second, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Nacho Friend. Further back were Turf Melody, Shrimp Dancer, Peppi Knows, I’ve Got the Fever, Wow Wow Wow, Three Day Rush, and Afleet Again.
Noseda said Awesome Act would remain at Belmont Park with assistants Wayne Tanner and George Windsor to prepare for the 1 1/8th mile Wood Memorial, New York’s final major prep race for the May 1 Kentucky Derby 2010.
Horse racing news edited from www.nyra.com.
Tags: Afleet Again, Awesome Act, I've Got the Fever, Nacho Friend, Peppi Knows, Shrimp Dancer, Three Day Rush, Turf Melody, Wow Wow Wow, Yawanna Twist
"Kentucky Derby Prep Race Results: Awesome Act Wins The Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct March 6" was posted on Saturday, March 6th, 2010 at 10:06 pm and is filed under Aqueduct, Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Kentucky Derby, Race Tracks News, Results & Payouts, Stakes Races, Triple Crown, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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