East Hall runs down Vicar's in Trouble to take Indiana Derby

East Hall runs down Vicar's in Trouble to take Indiana

Derby

H. Jack Hendricks and Roger Justice's East Hall not only overhauled Vicar's

in Trouble, but survived an objection to add the Grade 2, $507,100

Indiana

Derby to his resume on Saturday evening at

Indiana Grand. The Bill

Kaplan trainee was sent off at 16-1 but ran like a favorite under jockey Luis

Saez to return $35.80.

Vicar's in Trouble attempted to lead all the home, gunning for the lead as

soon as the gates opened. The colt proceeded through splits of :24 2/5, :48,

1:11 4/5 and 1:35 4/5 while tracked by East Hall and C J's Awesome to his

outside and Saa Mi just in behind.

Just Call Kenny was coming fast nearing the turn and soon it was four across

the track entering the lane. East Hall was kicking into high gear under Saez and

veered over and bumped with Just Call Kenny at the top of the stretch before

both colts straightened up.

Vicar's in Trouble still looked a winner this late in the race, but East Hall

was coming fast and just got up to pull out a length victory over the 2-1 second

favorite. He finished 8 1/2 furlongs on the fast dirt in 1:42 1/5.

Vicar's in Trouble filled out the runner-up spot while 2 1/4 lengths up on

Just Call Kenny. Paco Lopez, rider of the third-placer, lodged an objection

against East Hall for interference in the stretch but, after reviewing the tape,

the stewards made no changes.

C J's Awesome came in fourth and was followed by Saa Mi, even-money favorite

Atreides and overmatched maiden Cryptopirate. I Got It All and Quiet Ruler were

both withdrawn.

East Hall ran against stakes company before finally breaking his maiden in

his sixth start as a two-year-old. He followed up his maiden win with a

seventh-place finish in the Juvenile Turf for state-breds at

Gulfstream Park in

his only start on the grass. The chestnut kicked off his sophomore campaign with

a third-place finish in the Gulfstream Park Derby in January and followed up

that performance with another third in the OBS Championship (colt and gelding

division) Stakes later that month.

East Hall would finish off the board in his next three starts against graded

foes in the Fountain of Youth, Tampa Bay Derby and Florida Derby. He came in

second in the Sir Bear Stakes on Derby day at Gulfstream and filled that same

spot in the June 28 Quality Road Stakes. The Graeme Hall gelding finally earned

his first stakes victory when taking the July 19 Ohio Derby by a head, and

entered this one off a sixth-place effort in the Super Derby at

Louisiana Downs.

East Hall now has a career record that stands at 18-4-3-4, $662,545.

Bred in Florida by Mary K. Haire, East Hall is out of the unraced Sultry Song

mare East Long Lake. That mare is a half-sister to multiple Grade 3 winner Ok By

Me and a full sister to multiple stakes victress Song for Annie, who is herself

the dam of Grade 2-placed multiple stakes queen Successful Song.

East Hall's third dam is Lohagogo, who produced multiple Grade 3 winner

Willowy Wood, and this female family also includes champion Caressing.

East Hall sold for $23,000 at the

OBS August Yearling Sale

and sold again for $55,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training.

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