Engage Turns Back Whitmore in Phoenix Stakes
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Engage holds off Whitmore to win the Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland
Engage made his Keeneland debut a winning one Oct. 4 with a 9-1 upset of the $250,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2) over Whitmore.
The 4-year-old son of Into Mischief closed from seventh in the six-furlong sprint, put in a long drive five wide, and inched clear in the final stages under Jose Ortiz. Whitmore, who bobbled at the start and trailed the field early, made a bold six-wide move off the turn for home but did not have enough at the end and finished a half-length back.
"He's a very game horse," said Ortiz, who has been in the irons for 10 of Engage's 12 starts. "I know him very well, and I appreciate the opportunity they gave me to ride him back."
The early pace was set by 9-5 choice Promises Fulfilled, who led the field of nine through a quarter in :22.22, then lost the advantage to Zipp On By, who put up a half in :45.43. Lexitonian briefly took the lead through five-eighths in :57.69 as both frontrunners faded, but he yielded at the end.
"I was expecting an honest pace, but they weren't going that fast, so I was able to be close," Ortiz said. "And when I asked him to go, he punched home, and the last sixteenth he felt some horses coming to the outside and he pinched his ears back and kept going."
The final time was 1:10.21 on a fast main track. Lexitonian was third, a nose behind Whitmore. The order of finish was completed by Recruiting Ready, Hog Creek Hustle, Promises Fulfilled, Zipp On By, Cove Blue, and American Pastime. Diamond Oops and Heartwood were scratched.
Returned to graded company by Woodford Racing and trainer Steve Asmussen off a Sept 2 score in the Bensalem Stakes at Parx Racing, Engage broke through at the grade 2 level for the first time. He won the 2017 Futurity Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park as a 2-year-old, straight off a maiden win, when trained by Chad Brown.
"He's always been a quality horse, the Belmont Futurity winner as a 2-year-old," said Asmussen, who began training Engage after his 10th start. "Fresh horse, very sound horse. I loved the opportunity for him. I felt very good about our chances when I saw him over the racetrack here at Keeneland."
Bloodstock agent David Ingordo selected Engage for Woodford Racing from the 2017 Ocala Breeders' Sales March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, where he was consigned by Crupi's New Castle Farm.
"It was bad luck for one yearling we bought, which ended up being good luck for us," Ingordo recalled. "We bought a package of six yearlings at (the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2016), and we bought a colt related to Honor Code. He was a wobbler and he wound up having to be put down.
"We got the insurance money right around March 1 … and the (OBS) sale was two weeks later. We picked out three horses we liked. Engage was the first one of the three to sell, and we got him for $550,000, which was about our budget. The next two brought $750,000 and $1 million. It all worked out. We wouldn't have gotten the other two, anyway."
Bred in Kentucky by Woods Edge Farm out of the Speightstown mare Nefertiti, Engage originally went through the ring at that same Keeneland sale in 2016. He was pinhooked there from Woods Edge's consignment for $200,000 by the late J.J. Crupi, acting as agent for Rat Pack Farm. His record now stands at five wins and four seconds from 12 starts, with earnings of $649,080.
Engage is the third foal out of Nefertiti, whose Quality Road yearling was also acquired by Woodford Racing for $410,000 at the recently concluded Keeneland September Sale. The mare produced an Arrogate colt April 24 and was bred to American Pharoah for 2020.
While the Phoenix score guarantees Engage a fees-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) via the Challenge series, Asmussen did not rush to commit.
"This is a big win, a big win," he said. "Obviously, we'll see how he comes out of the race and speak with the happy ownership group on what to do next."
Evan Hammonds contributed to this report.