NEWS
Weathered makes the grade in Next Move Stakes
Posted: Saturday, March 28, 2009 6:49 PM
WEATHERED
Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo
by Ron Parker
Chevalier Stable’s homebred Weathered pressed the early pace before seizing the lead at the three-eighths pole and edging clear to her first graded stakes victory Saturday in the $105,800 Next Move Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct.
With the scratch of Nijinsky Bullet, five fillies and mares contested the 1 1/8-mile race on the inner track, and Successful Sarah was quickest out of the gate with Weathered right behind her.
On the backstretch, Weathered challenged the leader, who fought back. Jockey Mike Luzzi and Weathered quickly gained command and opened a one-length lead in early stretch.
Winning Point mounted the biggest challenge to Weathered in the lane but was unable to collar the leader, who inched away to win by 1½ lengths. Weather won in 1:52.44 on a track rated as fast.
Winning Point held second, 4¾ lengths in front of third-place finisher Successful Sarah.
“With the speed horse [Successful Sarah] on the rail, on paper, we figured the race would unfold as it did,” Luzzi said. “I’ve been working with her in the mornings, teaching her to slow down –she got away from me a little bit --but I got her to relax on the backside. In the stretch, when I needed her to fight, she did. [Trainer Karl Grusmark] has been keeping her happy for a long time and today it showed.”
A winner of four previous stakes, the Next Move was Weathered’s second attempt in a graded stakes. Last year, she finished fifth to eventual champion three-year-old filly Proud Spell in the Delaware Oaks (G2).
The New York-bred four-year-old Key Contender filly, who is out of the Thunder Puddles mare Thunder Stand, has nine wins from 15 starts and earnings to $404,160.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Ron Parker is a THOROUGHBRED TIMES contributing writer
