Converge flew a bit under the radar last year with only a maiden win over New York-breds to his name, but took the lion's share of the money for his 2016 debut and delivered the goods with a rallying score in Saturday's GIII Palm Beach S. The victory marked the first graded stakes success of the colt's career as well as the first graded tally for his sire.
Converge dropped a scorching :22.60 final quarter to capture his career debut at Belmont Sept. 19 and earned a spot in the starting gate for the Oct. 30 one-mile Awad S. by virtue of that effort. The bay finished an unlucky second that day, racing over 10 lengths back in the early stages and rallying to complete the exacta behind Mountain Music Man (Bluegrass Cat) despite racing in close quarters with a loose horse for the majority of the race. He subsequently traveled south to join his trainer's Palm Meadows string for the winter months and posted a steady diet of four-panel breezes in characteristic fashion for this barn over the past month.
Tabbed as the favorite for this first start off the bench, Converge was devoid of early speed once again and made steady progress down the backstretch as longshot American Phantom (Cowtown Cat) led through a half-mile in :47.27. Waiting for room between horses on the final bend, he dove down to the rail and kicked clear to claim the win. Giant Run held off a late rail bid from Ousby to complete the exacta.
“We knew this horse doesn't have any early speed and [Javier Castellano] would have to tuck him in off the break,” said winning trainer Chad Brown. “We just said, 'Take your chances and try to find someone live to follow on the inside.' On this turf course, if you can work your way up and get within striking distance turning for home, it's ideal. Javier just rode a masterful race and he had the horse beneath him to do it. He's a real quality horse.”
Brown said that the success could serve as a stepping stone to bigger races down the line.
“We planned on giving the horse just one start at Gulfstream to kick off his year,” the trainer continued. “There are some big races in the summer for him. In between, there's nothing put in stone but it's a great way to start off the year. Within the next couple weeks we'll pick out his next start for him.”
Saturday, Gulfstream Park
PALM BEACH S.-GIII, $150,000, GP, 2-27, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:40.64, fm.
1–#@CONVERGE, 114, c, 3, by Sidney's Candy
1st Dam: Atlantic Ocean (MGSW, $678,210), by Stormy Atlantic
2nd Dam: Super Chef, by Seattle Slew
3rd Dam: Super Cook, by Best Turn
($240,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Paul P. Pompa, Jr.; B-SF Racing
(NY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Javier Castellano. $85,560. Lifetime
Record: 3-2-1-0, $141,560. *1st stakes winner for sophomore
sire by (Candy Ride {Arg}). Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A++.[bullet ad=”woodsedgefarm-grad”][bullet ad=”nytb-ny-bred-why-breed-anywhere-else”][bullet ad=”xavier-yearling-purchase”]2–Giant Run, 114, c, 3, Giant's Causeway–Who Did It and Run,
by Polish Numbers. ($200,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Robert C.
Baker & William L. Mack; B-Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds LLC
(MD); T-Thomas Albertrani. $27,600.[bullet ad=”hidden-brook-sales-graduate”][bullet ad=”maryland-shell”]3–Ousby, 114, g, 3, Shakespeare–Diverse, by Kingmambo.
O-John Grossi's Racing Corp.; B-J. V. Shields (KY); T-Marcus J.
Vitali. $13,800.[bullet ad=”webb-carroll-another-wctc-grad”][bullet ad=”blackwood-graduate-2″]Margins: 3/4, NO, 3/4. Odds: 2.90, 9.30, 11.10.
Also Ran: J R 's Holiday, Gimlet, Scholar Athlete, Space Mountain, Kismet's Heels, Don't Be So Salty, Cave Johnson, Urban Bourbon, Frontier Ranger, American Phantom. Scratched: Azar. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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