NEWS
Haynesfield defeats I Want Revenge in Suburban
Posted: Saturday, July 03, 2010 6:36 PM
HAYNESFIELD
Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo
For video of the Suburban Handicap, click here.
by Mike Curry
Haynesfield roared away from Super Derby (G2) winner Regal Ransom and Grade 1 winner I Want Revenge entering the stretch of the $300,000 Suburban Handicap (G2) and powered to a 2 3/4-length romp under Ramon Dominguez on Saturday at Belmont Park.
The New York-bred four-year-old Speightstown colt extended his winning streak to four for trainer Steve Asmussen and owner Turtle Bird Stable. Winner of the Discovery Handicap (G3) in November 2009, Haynesfield had never contested a Grade 2 race prior to Saturday but handled a step up in class with ease, covering 1 1/8 miles on a track rated as fast in 1:48.52.
“When he took the lead at the three-eighths pole, Ramon was just sitting on him,” said Toby Sheets, assistant to Asmussen. “He did it the right way. We’ll see how he comes out of it and go from there.”
Haynesfield tracked Regal Ransom through an opening quarter in :24.10 and a half-mile in :46.87. I Want Revenge, winner of the 2009 Wood Memorial Stakes (G1), was reserved in fifth by jockey Joe Talamo in his return from a layoff of more than 14 months after a serious front fetlock injury knocked him out of the 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1).
Approaching the stretch, Haynesfield accelerated effortlessly past Regal Ransom and spurted clear as I Want Revenge rallied with a sweeping bid. I Want Revenge was no match for the winner, however, as Haynesfield opened a commanding two-length advantage at the eighth pole en route to his eighth win in 11 career starts.
Out of the stakes-winning Tejabo mare Nothing Special, Haynesfiled earned his sixth career stakes win and boosted his bankroll to $629,481 with his most lucrative victory to date. He was bred by Barry Weisbord and Margaret Santulli.
Haynesfield won three straight stakes leading up to the 2009 classics but did not continue on the Triple Crown trail after finishing eighth of nine in last year’s Gotham Stakes (G3). He closed last season with consecutive stakes wins, including his first graded win in the Discovery, and won an optional claiming race on June 13 in his 2010 debut after a layoff of more than six months.
“This is a horse who always felt like he had more potential there as a three-year-old, that he was going to develop into a nicer horse. But today, he really surprised me, especially the second quarter when we picked it up, he was just there for me,” Dominguez said. “Around the three-eighths pole we made the lead, which seemed a little early, but he did everything in hand.”
Multiple graded stakes-placed winner Convocation closed from sixth in the seven-horse field to finish second. I Want Revenge flattened out in the stretch and finished third, 1 1/4 lengths behind Convocation.
“Our horse ran well—it looks like he needed a race,” trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. said of I Want Revenge. “[Talamo] said he got a little tired. I thought he ran big. We’ll see what happens next time.”
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
READER COMMENTS
|
|
|
Posted by: Rita, Winder, GA on July 04, 2010 at 06:55 PM
Glad to see I Want Revenge back to racing so many do not make it back .Good luck to him in his next race.
Report Abuse 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted by: roseann, new hope, PA on July 03, 2010 at 06:48 PM
i always liked Haynesfield..really happy with our older horse division.
Report Abuse
|
|
|
|
|
|
