NEWS
Old Fashioned romps in Southwest
Posted: Monday, February 16, 2009 6:33 PM
OLD FASHIONED
Jeff Coady/Coady Photography
by Mike Curry
Old Fashioned was billed as one of the leading contenders for this year’s Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) entering his season debut, and the Unbridled’s Song colt lived up to the hype in the $250,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) on Monday at Oaklawn Park.
Trained by Larry Jones, Old Fashioned wore down runner-up Silver City in the stretch and steadily accelerated to a comfortable 3 1/4-length win in the one-mile race for three-year-olds.
While the Southwest victory was not as visually impressive as Old Fashioned’s dominant 7 1/4-length Remsen Stakes (G2) romp to close his juvenile campaign, he solidified his status as a formidable three-year-old with a convincing win as the 1-to-2 favorite in his first start in 2 1/2 months for owner Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farms. Old Fashioned ranks first on the THOROUGHBRED TIMES Road to the Triple Crown poll.
Old Fashioned broke sharply under Ramon Dominguez and went to the front, but Silver City also flashed early speed and seized command entering the first turn. Silver City and Old Fashioned separated themselves from the rest of the 11-horse field through an opening quarter in :22.47 and a swift half-mile in :45.98.
Silver City continued to show the way into the far turn, where Old Fashioned ranged up on his outside under Dominguez and appeared poised to power right past. Silver City battled determinedly in early stretch but could not keep pace with Old Fashioned, who drove clear to prevail in 1:37.41 on a track rated as fast.
"This horse is truly blessed," Jones said. "He stays fit. We weren't
looking to go out in :45, but he showed he was a lot fitter than we
thought. He is a gift and we will play it day by day. With a horse like
this you don't want to take any chances."
Silver City was one length clear of third-place finisher Buzzin and Dreamin. Flat Out, who was unprepared for the start and dropped 15 1/2 lengths off the pace after a quarter-mile, closed willingly to finish fourth.
Old Fashioned won a one-mile allowance race at Delaware Park by 15 1/2 lengths on November 3 and closed his two-year-old season with a dominant performance in the Remsen on November 29 at Aqueduct. Out of Grade 3 winner Collect Call, by Meadowlake, Old Fashioned improved to four wins in as many starts and boosted his bankroll to $323,280.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
