Far From Over Overcomes Bad Start in Withers
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Far From Over lived up to his name when overcoming a bad start to win the Withers Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths on Saturday. (Photo by Joe Labozzetta/NYRA)
After an eventful start, Far From Over pulled off a 6.20-to-1 upset on Saturday at Aqueduct when winning the $250,000 Withers Stakes.
Far From Over nearly fell out of the starting gate when it opened, giving up multiple lengths to the field. But while 1-to-2 race favorite El Kabeir and second betting choice Classy Class dueled on the lead, jockey Manuel Franco allowed Far From Over to settle and get into rhythm, still staying far behind the leaders.
As the field ticked off opening fractions of :24.40 and :47.95 through a half-mile, it looked like Far From Over wouln’t be able to catch the leaders. But on the turn the complexion of the race changed.
Far From Over accelerated along the rail on the turn to make up multiple lengths and stayed in that path until right before he reached the leaders, swinging wide to take the lead and win by win the race by 1 ¾ lengths.
The dueling pair of El Kabeir and Classy Class, respectively, were second and third with Tencendur in the fourth spot.
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"He had a bad step coming out of the gate and the game plan changed after that. I just let him go however he wanted to go comfortable. At the three-eighths pole I picked it up and went for the lead. I thought I would be able to get there [and win]," Franco said.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Far From Over won the 1 1/16-mile race in a time of 1:43.93 to stay undefeated in two starts. The victory is jockey Franco’s first graded stakes win in the United States, although he has won multiple stakes races in his career.
Bred by Alexander Groves Matz LLC, Far From Over was sold for $550,000 to Black Rock Thoroughbreds at the 2013 Keeneland September yearling sale.
The ridgling is from 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame’s first crop and is a half-brother (same dam [mother], different sire [father]) to the graded-stakes-placed filly And Why Not. Far From Over is out the graded stakes-placed A.P. Indy mare Alchemist, a full-sister to Grade 3 winner Altesse.
Far From Over’s fourth dam is 1983 Broodmare of the Year Courtly Dee, who produced eight stakes winners and seven graded stakes winners.
Far From Over paid $14.40 to win on a $2 win bet.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
FAR FROM OVER IN THE WITHERS
Photo by Eclipse Sportswire