Count Again Steps Up to Take Singspiel
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Photo: Michael Burns
Count Again wins the Singspiel Stakes at Woodbine
Sam-Son Farm's lightly raced Count Again stepped up to stakes company and survived a steward's inquiry Sept. 19 at Woodbine to come away with a victory in the CA$143,900 (US$108,980) Singspiel Stakes (G3T).
The Singspiel was only the sixth start and third with trainer Gail Cox for the 5-year-old Awesome Again gelding, who did not make his debut until August of his 4-year-old season. Count Again was hard held in midpack by jockey Luis Contreras in the 1 1/4-mile grass event. He was fifth early as Tiz a Slam set quarter-mile fractions of :25.82 and :49.91 but was steadied heavily into the far turn.
Count Again dropped back to eighth of nine with a half-mile left to run as Tiz a Slam ran three-quarters in 1:13.65. The pacesetter continued to lead through a 1:37.20 mile before tiring. Count Again circled the field three wide and hit his stride. He shifted in near the eighth-pole but was straightened by Contreras and continued on to a 1 1/4-length victory.
"I was in the perfect position the whole way," said Contreras, who picked up his seventh stakes win of the meet. "Just before the turn, a horse came on the outside and made a little move and gave him a bit of trouble, but my horse was nice and relaxed. I just held him a little bit longer … when I turned for home, I was loaded with so much horse."
Sir Sahib got up for second, a neck ahead of Say the Word, also trained by Cox for Sam-Son, in third. Nakamura finished fourth.
Stewards looked into the incident nearing the eighth pole, but after review, results were allowed to stand.
The final time on firm turf was 2:00.67.
The Singspiel win improved Count Again's record to 3-1-2 in six starts with earnings of US$137,517. It was his second race with blinkers following a close second in an allowance optional claiming race Aug. 29.
"Last time he ran with first-time blinkers on, so I just got beat really bad at the end, by a (neck)," Contreras said. "Today they cut the blinkers back, and I think that made a lot of difference."
Count Again, an Ontario homebred, is the second graded winner out of the stakes-winning Red Ransom mare Count to Three, who produced dual Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) winner Ransom the Moon (Malibu Moon ). Count to Three also has a yearling filly by Pioneerof the Nile and produced a Malibu Moon filly April 25.