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After Market returns to form in Inglewood
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After Market scored his first win since joining trainer John Shirreffs
(Benoit Photos) |
Pam and Martin Wygod's homebred AFTER MARKET (Storm Cat) had captured his
first four starts in impressive fashion, but he seemed to have lost his way ever
since, with a series of unplaced finishes. On Saturday, the royally-bred dark
bay regained his luster when sweeping to a two-length tally in the $108,200
Inglewood
H. (G3) at Hollywood Park.
Alex Solis settled After Market just off the pace in the early going, racing
in the clear on the outside. Up front, defending champion Willow O Wisp
(Misnomer) established a swift pace of :23, :46 4/5 and 1:10 1/5 with Get Funky
(Straight Man) hot on his heels. Turning for home, After Market was traveling
ominously well as he reached contention, and the John Shirreffs trainee produced
a decisive turn of foot in the stretch. Once seizing control, he was never
challenged and ultimately finished 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:39 3/5. As the
7-2 third choice in the six-horse field, After Market paid $9.20, $4.80 and
$3.20.
Red Fort (Ire) (Green Desert) rallied to claim second by three-quarters of a
length, returning $6.40 and $3.80 as the longest shot on the board at 6-1.
Willow O Wisp, the 2-1 favorite, salvaged third to yield $3. The $1 exotics were
worth $25.40 (exacta), $93.90 (trifecta) and $246.90 (5-7-6-3 superfecta) with
the 7-2 Get Funky in fourth. Next came Railroad (Double Honor) and Stormin Away
(Skip Away). Courtly Jazz (Dixieland Band) and Sound Breeze (GB) (Giant's
Causeway) were withdrawn.
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After Market has bankrolled $283,685 from his 9-5-0-0 line. Originally
conditioned by Bill Mott, he landed last year's National Museum of Racing Hall
of Fame S. (G2) at Saratoga and the Lexington S. (G3) at Belmont Park. He failed
to handle the soft turf at Delaware Park in the Kent Breeders' Cup S. (G3),
trailing in last of 10, and was put away for the season. In his return in an
allowance/optional claiming event at Gulfstream Park in January, he again
checked in last in an eight-horse field. Switched to Shirreffs, After Market
finished sixth in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile H. (G1) and was a troubled fifth in
an allowance in his most recent outing.
Bred in Kentucky, After Market is the first registered foal out of the Grade
1 winning mare Tranquility Lake (Rahy), who amassed more than $1.6 million in
earnings in the course of her four-year career. Among her nine stakes wins, she
garnered the 1999 Gamely Breeders' Cup H. (G1) and 2000 Yellow Ribbon S. (G1).
She has since produced three full brothers to After Market -- a well regarded
but once-raced sophomore named Jalil, a juvenile named Inflection Point and an
unnamed yearling. Out of Grade 2-placed Winter's Love (Danzig), Tranquility Lake
is herself a half-sister to three-time Grade 2 winner and successful sire
Benchmark (Alydar). This is the family of 1983 Belmont S. (G1) hero Caveat.
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