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Gouldings Green elevated to first in Hanshin Cup
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Gouldings Green finally got his Hanshin win
(Benoit Photo) |
Melnyk Racing Stables' GOULDINGS GREEN (Charismatic) could not catch Fifteen
Rounds (Fit to Fight) in the stretch of Saturday's $100,000
Hanshin Cup H. (G3),
but the five-year-old horse got the win via the stewards at Arlington Park.
Fifteen Rounds drove to the lead in upper stretch of the one-mile event, but he
drifted to the rail and crossed in front of Gouldings Green, who was briefly
steadied, and jockey Corey Lanerie was forced to alter his course. The incident may
have been irrelevant to the final order of finish, but Fifteen Rounds was deemed
to have violated the rules and wound up being disqualified.As a result, Gouldings Green recorded his second straight stakes win and
first graded score. Trained by Tony Reinstedler, the chestnut rated just off the
pace in the five-horse field as With Distinction (Storm Cat) established
fractions of :22 4/5, :45 1/5 and 1:09. Fifteen Rounds, who owns eight wins at
Arlington, tracked the pacesetter in second, with jockey Chris Emigh sitting
very confidently as he waited to strike at the top of the stretch, and the horse
for the course went on boldly after straightening into the lane. Gouldings Green
was under a ride midway on the far turn and advanced through an opening on the
rail to close the margin to about a length, which the stewards decided wasn't
enough room for his rival to cross in front safely. Fifteen Rounds easily held
sway through the stretch, winning by a length and finishing a mile over the fast
track in 1:34, but the inquiry light began flashing on the tote board as soon as
he crossed the finish line.
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Fifteen Rounds' connections disagreed with the ruling.
"I think it was a bad call," Emigh said. "I was clear. You can change paths
if you're clear."
"The horse won convincingly," said Christine Janks, trainer of the
disqualified runner. "The other horse never gave an inch. I feel sorry for Chris
(Emigh) because Fifteen Rounds came down a little and it wasn't his fault. He
rode a terrific race."
Favored at 6-5, Gouldings Green gave back $4.60, $2.40 and $2.10. Fifteen
Rounds, the 2-1 second choice, returned $3 and $2.40 and capped the $10.60
exacta. Three Hour Nap (Afternoon Deelites) finished a half-length back of the
eventual winner in third at 5-1 and paid $2.40. The 3-1-4 trifecta was worth
$29.40. Semaphore Man (Formal Gold) and With Distinction rounded out the order
of finish.
Bred in Kentucky by Marvin Delfiner, Gouldings Green is the second foal out
of Elusive Gold (Strike the Gold) and has a yearling half-brother by Cape Town.
Purchased for $260,000 at the 2002 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, he
finished a good second in last year's Hanshin Cup and placed in this year's
Oaklawn H. (G2) before breaking through with his first stakes win in the
Alysheba S. at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Oaks undercard. Gouldings Green
improved his bankroll to $329,616 from a 12-6-2-1 line.
The Stephen Foster H. (G1) on June 17 is a possible target for the winner.
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