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Circular Quay runs rings around Hopeful foes
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Circular Quay emerged an easy victor in the Hopeful on Monday
(Deborah Kral/Horsephotos.com) |
Trainer Todd Pletcher looked to have a stranglehold on Monday's $245,000
Hopeful S.
(G1) at Saratoga, with his powerful entry of unbeaten graded stakes winners,
and so it proved when CIRCULAR QUAY (Thunder Gulch) scored a commanding 4
1/4-length victory over his stablemate Scat Daddy (Johannesburg). In what is
rapidly becoming his trademark style, the chestnut juvenile broke slowly and
rallied from far back with a blistering stretch run to maintain his perfect
record from three starts. Moreover, he provided his Eclipse Award-winning
trainer with his first Hopeful victory.While Circular Quay was in no hurry leaving the gate and dropped back to
last, Pegasus Wind (Fusaichi Pegasus) and Irish Ace (Grand Slam) shot out of the
stalls and engaged in a strenuous pace battle, with Scat Daddy and Unbridled
Express (Unbridled's Song) tracking. Pressed every step of the way by Irish Ace,
Pegasus Wind maintained a narrow lead through taxing splits of :22 1/5 and :44
4/5. The stalking pair of Scat Daddy and Unbridled Express made their moves
leaving the far turn, and as they ranged up to join the duelists, the quartet
was nearly in a line abreast. The exhausted pacesetters soon began to fade, and
Unbridled Express thrust his head in front of Scat Daddy through six furlongs in
1:10.
By this time, Garrett Gomez had gotten Circular Quay into high gear. After
closing ground along the inside on the turn, he swung out wide for clear sailing
in the stretch and took dead aim, sweeping past the field and quickly opening up
a daylight advantage. The chestnut completed the historic seven-furlong test in
1:23 on the fast track.
"I didn't want to be that far back," Gomez said, "but they were all in a
drive at the five-eighths pole, so I just sat on him. I just kept waiting on
him, and finally at the three-eighths pole I said, 'I'm tired of waiting; it's
time to go.' At the quarter-pole, he got me up there and then he just took off."
"The race obviously set up well for (Circular Quay)," Pletcher said. "He was
way out the back, but it worked out well for him. That's kind of been his
natural running style. Sometimes when you're the lone closer, it's as good as
being the lone speed."
Scat Daddy bravely repelled Unbridled Express to earn runner-up honors by a
length, with Pegasus Wind and Irish Ace trailing.
Pletcher also praised Scat Daddy's effort, noting that both of his colts "ran
extremely well."
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"Scat Daddy broke a half-step slow," the trainer said, "and rushed up and had
to steady a bit and was part of that speed duel. I thought Scat Daddy,
considering everything, was the one horse that finished up well out of the speed
duel."
The entry of Circular Quay and Scat Daddy was dispatched as the 4-5 favorite,
returning $3.60 and $2.80, while the 5-2 Unbridled Express ended the $9.30
exacta. There was no show wagering.
With this first Grade 1 win on his resume, Circular Quay more than doubled
his bankroll to $281,434. The unbeaten colt romped by 6 1/4 lengths in his debut
at Churchill Downs and deployed a similar late charge to garner the Bashford
Manor S. (G3) in his only other outing.
The winner races for his breeder, Doreen Tabor, and Michael Tabor. Bred in
Kentucky, Circular Quay is the second registered foal from 1999 Spinaway S. (G1)
queen Circle of Life (Belong to Me), who has since produced an unnamed yearling
colt by Fusaichi Pegasus. The female line traces to *Tir an Oir (Tehran), the
dam of 1958 Californian S. winner *Seaneen. Other notable descendants of Tir an
Oir include 1999 champion juvenile filly Chilukki, 1977 San Juan Capistrano S.
(G1) victor Properantes and English Group 2 winner Doulab.
Pletcher hasn't decided about his colts' future targets, expressing concern
that the October 14 Champagne S. (G1) at Belmont Park is just three weeks away
from the November 4 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Churchill Downs.
"It's possible that one might run in there (the Champagne), and it's possible
that neither may run in there," he added.
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