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First Defence runs Forego foes off their feet Juddmonte Farms' homebred FIRST DEFENCE (Unbridled's Song) surged to the front at the three-eighths marker, opened up a big lead turning for home and crushed his competition in the $250,000 Forego S. (G1) at Saratoga on Saturday, rolling to a 6 3/4-length score under Channing Hill. The Bobby Frankel charge was always well placed along the rail and was in hand after posting a half-mile in :44 3/5. Approaching the final turn, the nearly 8-1 third choice let it out some and no one could keep touch, as the four-year-old never wavered in finishing off seven panels in 1:21 2/5. The winner was good for $17.60, $9 and $5.80 while keying the $552 exacta and $7,768 trifecta (2-8-5). "He went :44 like he was going :47," Hill said following his first Grade 1 score. "He just cruised around there. What a nice horse!" "He ran like we always thought he could run," Frankel said, adding, "I was shocked that he ran as good as he did. I was waiting for him to start slowing down, but he kept going." Greeley's Conquest (Mr. Greeley) bid four-wide entering the final turn and got the nod in a multiple-horse photo for second by a head. The 38-1 longest shot gave back $30.20 and $18.40. Ferocious Fires (Lite the Fuse) suffered his first dirt defeat in here but ran creditably for third by a neck. The 24-1 shot was good for $10.60. Eternal Star (Five Star Day) led for the opening quarter-mile and stayed on for fourth by a nose over Tasteyville (With Approval), who was trailed by a head by 3-5 favorite Lucky Island (Arg) (Lucky Roberto). Lucky Island stumbled and was then pinched back to last early, made a sweeping move while widest of all entering the final turn and finished with heart to fall just a few bobs from a placing. "He stumbled and then got clobbered when he got up," Lucky Island's trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. "So, he lost all chance." It was another 2 1/4 lengths back to Premium Wine (Prime Timber), followed by Bold Start (Jump Start), Forefathers (Gone West) and Real Estate (High Yield), who endured considerable trouble at the start next to Lucky Island. The stewards conducted an inquiry into the start before declaring the result official. First Defence improved his lifetime line to 12-6-3-0, $576,534, with the $150,000 winner's share in here. The talented bay was last seen finishing a clear second in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. (G2), which followed a score in the grassy Jaipur S. (G3). The Kentucky-bred, who was a game second in the King's Bishop S. (G1) over this oval last season, bagged the Long Branch S. at Monmouth Park in 2007. The winner was produced from Grade 1 queen Honest Lady (Seattle Slew), a four-time graded stakes vixen who finished second in the 2000 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1). Honest Lady is out of the Grade 1-winning blue hen Toussaud (El Gran Senor), the 2002 Broodmare of the Year, and is kin to Grade 1 winners Empire Maker (Unbridled), Chester House (Mr. Prospector) and Chiselling (Woodman), as well as Grade 2 hero Decarchy (Distant View). First Defence is a half-brother to French stakes victress Phantom Rose (Danzig) and promising juvenile Honest Quality (Elusive Quality), who captured the July 24 Star S. at Sandown in England. He also has an unnamed yearling half-brother by Smart Strike and an unnamed 2008 half-brother by Giant's Causeway. Frankel stated that First Defence will likely train up to the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita on October 25.
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