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After Market bulls way to Lexington score Mr. and Mrs. Martin J. Wygod's homebred AFTER MARKET (Storm Cat) didn't merely defeat his rivals as the 4-5 favorite in Sunday's $107,400 Lexington S. (G3). The dark bay sophomore body-slammed one of them en route to a decisive 1 1/2-length tally in his stakes bow to maintain a perfect three-for-three record. Cornelio Velasquez steered the Bill Mott pupil as he completed 1 1/8 miles on Belmont Park's firm inner turf in 1:48 4/5. A strapping first-born from multiple Grade 1 queen Tranquility Lake (Rahy), the winner comfortably tracked the early pace as an eager To Sender (GB) (King's Best) gunned to the front. With Carnera (Old Trieste) pressing him to the inside, To Sender carved out quick splits of :23 1/5, :46 4/5, and 1:11. On the far turn, Carnera confronted the pacesetter and darted to the lead entering the stretch. After Market then lurched forward on the outside, and as he began to gather momentum, he lugged in abruptly, bumping a tiring To Sender hard and causing that one to steady and lose his action momentarily. Velasquez corrected After Market's course and took dead aim on Carnera, who in the meantime got the mile in 1:36. With raking strides, the dark bay overhauled the leader inside the final furlong to cross the wire a handy winner. "He's a good horse, but he's a little green," Velasquez said. "At the top of the stretch, he lugged in a little bit. He finished up well and he's going to be a very nice horse." "He's still green," Mott agreed, adding, "He was green last time (in a Belmont allowance). (Velasquez) hit him today and he went on, but when he went to hit him again, he ducked in. I think the horse was anticipating him hitting him." Carnera bravely held on for second by a head over a furiously closing Crossword (A.P. Indy), who rallied from last and made up a great deal of ground in the final three-eighths. To Sender checked in another eight lengths back in fourth after the incident at the top of the stretch. Cool Cassanova (Kissin Kris) trailed, and Habsburg (Old Trieste), Carnera's entrymate, was withdrawn. After Market returned $3.70, $2.40 and $2.10 while keying the $10 exacta and $18.80 trifecta (2-1-5). The 3-1 Carnera gave back $3.40 and $2.40 as the second choice in the wagering, and Crossword yielded $2.40 to show at 5-1. With this first stakes score on his resume, the winner more than doubled his bankroll to $119,640. In his only start at two, After Market captured a 1 1/16-mile maiden race over Aqueduct's turf course in November. He made his successful sophomore debut at this course and distance in a June 15 allowance against older horses. The Kentucky-bred has a long way to go to match the outstanding record of his dam, Tranquility Lake, 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 -- an unraced juvenile named Liwa Oasis, an unnamed yearling and a 2006 colt. 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. Mott specified a couple of options for the winner's next start, preferring the $150,000 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Breeders' Cup S. (G2) at Saratoga on August 7 but mentioning that the colt is also nominated to the $400,000 Secretariat S. (G1) at Arlington Park on August 12. "I'm sure the owner will have some input," Mott said regarding the choice of target.
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