Fore Left followed his debut victory at Santa Anita May 19 with a sharp black-type win Friday in Belmont's Tremont S. The bay colt's favoritism was merited by the fact that the two-three finishers in his maiden score, Phantom Boss (Shackleford) and Raging Whiskey (Bourbon Courage) both found the winner's circle in their subsequent starts last Sunday in Arcadia. In his first stakes attempt, Fore Left blasted from the gate to seize the lead, cruising along comfortably through an opening quarter in :22.58. Showing the way into the lane, $97,000 KEESEP buy kept on finding under mild encouragement, skipping clear to win decisively. New York-bred Theitalianamerican filled the place spot.
“He broke well and did it pretty easy,” said jockey Mario Gutierrez. “He was sharp out of the gate and found the lead and was in really good contention. In the stretch, I just had to be a little firm. But he did it easy. He's composed. He seems promising, so hopefully, he keeps going the same way.”
Owner Paul Reddam hinted that a future start at Saratoga could be possible for Fore Left and that he would be keen to try the promising colt at longer distances.
“When he broke on top, I thought he'd be tough,” He said. “We hope that he can run a mile and quarter going forward, but you never know. We had [Champion Two-Year-Old and GI Kentucky Derby Winner] Nyquist (Uncle Mo), who broke his maiden going five [furlongs], and everyone said that horse can't go two turns or he can't go a mile and an eighth. [Fore Left] has the pedigree to go a mile and a quarter. Usually, with earlier speed you don't see that, but we hope he's the exception.”
Fore Left RNA'd for $145,000 at the OBS March Sale after breezing in :10 flat. He is the first winner produced from Simply Sunny, who has a yearling filly by Flatter and foaled a colt by Tiznow in March of this year.
TREMONT S., $150,000, Belmont, 6-7, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:04.44, ft.
1--FORE LEFT, 121, c, 2, by Twirling Candy
1st Dam: Simply Sunny, by Unbridled's Song
2nd Dam: Carolina Sunrise, by Awesome Again
3rd Dam: Stylish Star, by Our Native
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($97,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $145,000 RNA
2yo '19 OBSMAR). O-Reddam Racing LLC; B-Machmer Hall
(KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill; J-Mario Gutierrez. $87,000. Lifetime
Record: 2-2-0-0, $126,000.
2--Theitalianamerican, 118, r, 2, Girolamo–Quiet Kiss, by Quiet
American. ($4,000 RNA Wlg '17 FTNMIX; $5,000 Ylg '18
OBSWIN; $30,000 2yo '19 OBSMAR). O-Monty Foss & John
Moirano; B-McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, LLC &
Spruce Lane Farm (NY); T-Gary C. Contessa. $30,000.
3--Rookie Salsa, 121, c, 2, Two Step Salsa–Kalambaka Queen, by
Pico Central (Brz). ($15,000 Ylg '18 FTKOCT). O-Designated
Hitters Racing, LLC; B-Mikhail Yanakov Olympia Star, LLC (FL);
T-Jeremiah O'Dwyer. $15,000.
Margins: 4HF, 3 1/4, 1. Odds: 1.65, 5.50, 5.30.
Also Ran: Federale, Memorable, Dixie Mo, Now Is. Scratched: Maven. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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