NEWS
Here Comes Ben takes Forego in graded stakes debut
Posted: Saturday, September 04, 2010 7:02 PM
HERE COMES BEN
Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo
To view the Forego Stakes, click here.
by Mike Curry
Here Comes Ben reeled in multiple graded stakes winner Big Drama in the closing strides of the $250,000 Forego Stakes (G1) on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course to extend his winning streak to four in his graded stakes debut.
Big Drama spurted clear in the stretch and appeared well on his way to his first win at the top level, but Here Comes Ben closed steadily under Alex Solis to overhaul that opponent en route to a three-quarter-length victory.
Here Comes Ben, who was reserved early in seventh in the nine-horse field, covered seven furlongs in 1:22.50 at 9.90-to-1 odds for his sixth win in 12 starts for owners-breeders Marianne and Brandon Chase.
“He broke very relaxed. I had hoped I’d be laying fourth, fifth or sixth but he was more relaxed than I thought he would be,” Solis said. “When we got to the half-mile pole, I asked him and we started marching and at the quarter pole when I really got after him, we started coming and he did his thing.”
Trained by Charles Lopresti, the four-year-old Street Cry (Ire) colt won a seven-furlong allowance race by six lengths in April at Keeneland Race Course. He followed with a 5 1/4-length win in an optional claiming race at Churchill Downs at the same distance and entered the Forego off his first career stakes win, a neck score in the seven-furlong Kelly’s Landing Stakes on June 25 at Churchill.
“I was a little intimidated coming up here because I’ve never run in a Grade 1 before, but I knew had he the [speed figures] and Alex [Solis] has been telling me all along he’s a really good horse,” Lopresti said. “We brought him up here two weeks ago and he trained really well and did everything right. We had to see if he was this kind of horse, and he proved it today.”
Here Comes Ben outshined a star-studded field that included Grade 1 winners Vineyard Haven, Warrior’s Reward, and Bribon (Fr). With the $150,000 winner’s share, Here Comes Ben boosted his earnings to $354,872. He is out of the winning Dayjur mare Chasetheragingwind, a half sister to Group 1 winner and sire King Charlemagne and Group 3 winner and sire Meshaheer.
“[The Forego] is one of the reasons I came here, because I’ve ridden this horse at Churchill Downs,” said Solis, who was aboard for both of his Churchill wins this season. “The first time I rode him I thought that he could be a Breeders’ Cup horse.”
Smile Sprint Handicap (G2) winner Big Drama finished second, 1 1/2 lengths clear of Vineyard Haven. Warrior’s Reward was another neck back in fourth, followed by Girolamo and Bribon. Checklist faded to last after setting the pace through a half-mile in :45.29.
Lopresti said he now must decide whether to stretch him out and point to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) on November 6 at Churchill Downs or cut back to six furlongs for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1).
“There won’t be many seven-furlong races for him, so we’re going to have to make decision,” he said.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
