NEWS
Eightyfiveinafifty in good order after Whirlaway
Posted: Sunday, February 07, 2010 3:01 PM
by Mike Curry
When Eightyfiveinafifty bolted on the first turn as the 3-to-10 favorite in the Whirlaway Stakes on Saturday at Aqueduct (video), it was only the beginning of the adventure for the Forest Camp colt and trainer Gary Contessa.
Eightyfiveinafifty unseated jockey Jorge Chavez, hurdled the outside rail and at least one other fence on the backstretch, and took a tour of the stable area. Contessa quickly drove to the backside and was relieved to find out that the colt was corralled by an Aqueduct security guard and appeared to have only picked up a few minor scrapes.
Contessa said Sunday morning that the talented three-year-old appeared to have escaped injury and was full of energy in his stall.
"We have absolutely dodged a bullet here,” Contessa said. “This could have been the end of his career and instead this horse is out a week.
“He has always been a very level-headed horse so there is no reason to think he will not forget this incident and return to being the fastest three-year-old in the country."
Eightfiveinafifty entered the Whirlaway off a dominant 17 1/4-length romp in a January 9 maiden special weight race at Aqueduct that stamped him a hopeful for the U.S. classics. His stakes debut did not go as planned, but Contessa was just happy he was virtually unharmed and would not miss an extended stretch of training.
"Yesterday was just another example of how difficult it is to have everything go right in this game," Contessa said. "Let's let the horse do the talking, and he will tell me when and where he returns to race again."
Chavez was taken to North Shore University Hospital for evaluation and released after X-rays came back negative. He took off his lone scheduled mount on Sunday, but Chavez’s jockey agent, Mike Monroe, said he expects to return on Wednesday.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
