NEWS
Fabulous Strike notches strong win in Vosburgh
Posted: Sunday, September 30, 2007 7:09 PM
FABULOUS STRIKE
Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo
by Myra Lewyn
Walter Downey’s Fabulous Strike spoiled the long-awaited return of Goldophin Racing’s Grade 1 winner Discreet Cat on Sunday at Belmont Park when he shook free of runner-up Talent Search in upper stretch and continued unchallenged to score by 5 ¾ lengths in the $416,000 Vosburgh Stakes (G1).
With the victory, Fabulous Strike earned an automatic berth in the $2-million TVG Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) on October 27 at Monmouth Park in the new Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series.
Racing on the inside as Talent Search pressed a head behind, Fabulous Strike set a blistering pace through an opening quarter in :21.89 and a half-mile in :44.51 before surging clear under Ramon Dominguez in early stretch. The four-year-old Smart Strike gelding opened a 4 ½-length lead at the eighth pole and extended his advantage to the wire, covering six furlongs in 1:09.22 on a track rated as fast.
“We were going so fast, but he was going easy,” Dominguez said of Fabulous Strike, who earned his third win in four starts this year and his first Grade 1 victory. “I was just hoping I would have some horse. As soon as I opened my hands, he just exploded. This horse is a running son of a gun.”
Trainer Todd Beattie said he plans to train up to the Sprint at Penn National Race Course.
Talent Search hung on for second, a neck in front of 0.95-to-1 favorite Discreet Cat, who returned from six-month layoff prompted by a severe throat infection after his last-place finish in the Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) on March 31, his only loss in seven previous starts.
Discreet Cat raced in third for much of the way in the Vosburgh, which trainer Saeed bin Suroor said was too short a distance for the four-year-old Forestry colt.
“He needed the race and should improve off of this race,” bin Suroor said. “We’ll have to see how he comes out of this race and check him over. If everything is fine, I would be happy to send him to the Breeders’ Cup [Dirt] Mile. I think the Mile will be better for him.”
Pennsylvania-bred Fabulous Strike rebounded from a fifth-place finish in the Smile Sprint Handicap (G2) at Calder Race Course and a bout of heat exhaustion. Prior to that he owned a four-race win streak that included the Aristides Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs on June 2 and three stakes wins at Mountaineer Race Track dating to last November.
Out of the Lost Code mare Fabulous Find, Fabulous Strike improved to nine wins in 14 career starts and increased his lifetime bankroll to $632,832. His win in the Vosburgh was the first of three Grade 1 wins on the day at Belmont for offspring of Central Kentucky sire Smart Strike, followed by English Channel’s win in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes (G1) and Curlin’s triumph in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1).
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Myra Lewyn is a Thoroughbred Times daily news editor
