By Tom Frary
How Gronkowski will fare in the Run For the Roses remains unknown, but his presence in the line-up adds some extra intrigue and at least the imposing bay now has a black-type success to his name as he overcame some smart rivals in Friday's Listed Burradon S. over the Newcastle all-weather.
Three-from-three entering this welcome all-weather initiative after displays of prowess at Chelmsford in November, over this course and distance Feb. 9 and at Kempton Mar. 7, he raced under restraint in rear early as Jamie Spencer oozed confidence. Having to come up the stand's rail as Nyaleti (Ire) (Arch) began to tire up ahead, he was in front 1 1/2 furlongs out and that was possibly too soon as he began to idle in front of a three-way blanket in behind.
Trainer Jeremy Noseda was maintaining his focus on the big day at Churchill Downs.
“We've had this dream and now the dream is alive. We'll go to Kentucky and it will be a huge task and a huge ask, but it's what we set out to do,” he commented. “It's always been a dream of mine and I'm looking forward to it. It sounds strange, but I haven't yet seen on the racetrack what I believe this horse is capable of. I'm sure there's more to come. We'll go and sharpen up and get ready for Kentucky now. We'll need a much better effort, but I'm sure we can do ourselves justice. He hasn't got real gears but if he can get into a rhythm, he can keep in a rhythm a long time.”
Gronkowski is the first foal out of the unraced Four Sugars, a half to the GI Stephen Foster H.-winning sire Flashy Bull (Holy Bull) who also has a 2-year-old colt by Uncle Mo purchased for $140,000 by Quarter Pole Enterprises at Keeneland September.
32RED BURRADON S.-Listed, £100,000, NC, 3-30, 3yo, 8f 5y (AWT), 1:37.49, st.
1–GRONKOWSKI, 128, c, 3, by Lonhro (Aus)
1st Dam: Four Sugars, by Lookin At Lucky
2nd Dam: Iridescence, by Mt. Livermore
3rd Dam: Orient Pearl, by Manila
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN.
($75,000 Wlg '15 KEENOV; 50,000gns Ylg '16 TATOCT; 300,000gns 2yo '17 TATBRE). O-Phoenix Thoroughbred Limited; B-Epic Thoroughbreds Llc (KY); T-Jeremy Noseda; J-Jamie Spencer. £56,710. Lifetime Record: 6-4-1-0, $135,644.[bullet ad=”trackside-foaledraisedsold”][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred-keen-grad”]2–Iconic Sunset (GB), 128, c, 3, Farhh (GB)–Manila Bay (Ire), by Halling. (20,000gns RNA Ylg '16 TAOCT). O-Saeed Manana. £21,500.
3–Dark Acclaim (Ire), 128, c, 3, Dark Angel (Ire)–Sistine (GB), by Dubai Destination. (28,000gns RNA Ylg '16 TAOCT; £45,000 2yo '17 GOFBRE). O-Middleham Park Racing CXXI & Partners. £10,760.
Margins: 1 1/4, NO, NO. Odds: 1.60, 33.00, 14.00.
Also Ran: Purser, Great Prospector (Ire), Nyaleti (Ire), Freescape (GB), Fortune's Pearl (Ire), Another Batt (Ire), De Medici (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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