Happy Farm Steps Up in Aqueduct's Fall Highweight
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Chelsea Durand
Happy Farm turns back Wonderful Light (outside) and Recruiting Ready in the Fall Highweight at Aqueduct
Trainer Jason Servis scored his second graded victory of the weekend at Aqueduct Racetrack when M and A Racing's Happy Farm took over the lead on the turn for home and held on to win the $206,100 Fall Highweight Handicap (G3) Dec. 8.
The six-furlong handicap for 3-year-olds and up that featured the favored Recruiting Ready, carrying 132 pounds, was rescheduled twice due to weather and was originally set to run Thanksgiving Day.
Servis, who won the Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) at the track with Maximum Security the previous day, claimed Happy Farm for his new owners in a March 3 race. The 5-year-old Ghostzapper gelding has been through five previous owners and mostly raced at the claiming level.
After finishing fourth of five in the March 3 event, Happy Farm returned as the runner-up in an April 17 claiming race at Aqueduct for his new owners and was subsequently moved up the ranks, winning his past three races at Belmont Park before stepping up to the graded level.
In Sunday's Fall Highweight, Strike Power went to the lead and ran the first quarter-mile in :22.55 while carrying the second-highest weight of 128 pounds. Jorge Vargas Jr. kept Happy Farm just off the leader in second while Recruiting Ready, Seethisquick, and Wonderful Light shuffled for position just behind them.
At the top of the turn, Vargas and Happy Farm took over a slight lead to post a half-mile in :45.96, with Strike Power trying to stay with them. As the field straightened into the stretch, Strike Power tired abruptly, leaving Wonderful Light and Recruiting Ready, who spotted as much as 10 pounds to his rivals, to give chase. Wonderful Light had just enough to get within three-quarters of a length of the winner, while Recruiting Ready finished another half-length back in third.
Carrying 125 pounds, Happy Farm completed the distance in 1:11.91 on a fast track and returned $16.40, $6, and $3.30.
"My horse broke quick, and (Servis assistant Henry Argueta) told me he was going to be sharp," Vargas said. "I just tried to relax him. By the turn, he was going quick, but he was relaxed. I smooched at him a little bit, and he jumped on it right away. When they came to me, I had something to fight back with."
Bred in Florida by Rustlewood Farm, Happy Farm is the first foal out of the Holy Bull mare Gospel Girl, who also produced Take Charge Dude, the third-place finisher in the Dec. 7 Claiming Crown Express Stakes, a non-black-type event at Gulfstream Park. Happy Farm brought his record to 8-4-2 in 19 starts and his earnings to $398,888 in his graded stakes debut.