The Reds Wins Federico Tesio After Excellorator DQ
Image:
Description:
Photo: Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
The Reds (outside) wins the Federico Tesio Stakes after the disqualification of Excellorator (inside) at Pimlico Race Course
Having run second despite encountering trouble both early and late, Flanagan Racing's The Reds was promoted to victory following the disqualification of first-place finisher Excellorator April 24 in the $125,000 Federico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.
The 40th running of the 1 1/8-mile Federico Tesio headlined an 11-race program Saturday featuring six stakes worth $650,000 in purses. For the sixth straight year, the Tesio offered Triple Crown-nominated 3-year-olds an automatic berth in the May 15 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico.
Saturday marked the return of the Tesio to Pimlico, where it debuted in 1981 and stayed every year but two through 2015. Named for the noted Italian breeder, owner and trainer whose homebreds Nearco and Ribot dominate Thoroughbred bloodlines around the world, the Tesio was held at Laurel Park in 1987 and 1989 and each year since 2016.
Sent off the 9-5 favorite in a field of eight that included stakes winners Shackled Love , Hello Hot Rod , and his former stablemate Maythehorsebwithu , The Reds ($5.80) gave both local jockey Victor Carrasco and New York-based trainer John Kimmel their first Tesio victory.
"I thought he showed tremendous courage, really," Kimmel said by phone. "He got squeezed at the start so he ended up losing his spot. He should have been much closer. Then he had a terrible trip getting to where he was when the horse came out on him, which was a call I thought was deserved. We were just very fortunate."
Shackled Love and Maythehorsebwithu, who were 1-2 separated by a half-length in the March 13 Private Terms Stakes at Laurel, broke side-by-side from the two outermost posts and both were intent on the lead, going the first quarter-mile in :24.13 and a half in :48.12 with Excellorator and jockey Angel Cruz tracking in third. Six furlongs went in 1:11.50 with the top two still in front, though Excellorator was closing the gap.
Neither leader was able to maintain their momentum and began to drop back as they came into the stretch, leaving Excellorator to inherit the lead. Meanwhile The Reds, shuffled back between Royal Number and Hello Hot Rod early and steadied on the far turn, got straightened out and was coming with a run when Excellorator drifted out under Cruz's left-handed urging. The Reds was forced to alter his path and had Royal Number closing on his outside.
Once on a straight path, Excellorator dug in and held off The Reds by a head after completing the distance in 1:49.98 over a fast main track. Following a lengthy stewards' inquiry and objections from both Carrasco on Cruz and Royal Number's jockey Julian Pimentel on Carrasco, Excellorator was taken down and placed second behind The Reds.
"Not too disappointed really, because the horse ran a wonderful race," said Excellorator's trainer, Hugh McMahon. "We did our part. There's just so much we can do, but there's so many external variables that influence these kinds of outcomes."
The remaining order of finish was unchanged. Royal Number was third, followed by Hello Hot Rod, Maythehorsebwithu, Shackled Love, Zertz , and Tiz Mandate .
By 2014 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Tonalist , The Reds was bred in Kentucky by Robert S. Evans out of the grade 2-placed Exchange Rate mare Ash Zee, and sold to Sean Flanagan for $130,000 from Wavertree Stables' consignment to the 2020 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. He also graduated Cross Keys Sales' consignment to the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was a $115,000 purchase by Golf 19/20. He failed to meet his reserve as a weanling at the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, where Timber Town consigned him and the hammer fell at $14,000.
Ash Zee is also the dam of grade 2-placed Zee Drop, and from seven foals of racing age has four winners from five to race. She produced a full brother to The Reds Jan. 19.
The Reds broke his maiden in his fifth career start and second this year, a 1 1/8-mile maiden special weight Jan. 31 at Aqueduct Racetrack. Last time out, he ran fifth March 6 in the one-mile Gotham Stakes (G3), also at the Big A. His career record stands at two wins and a second from seven starts, with earnings of $147,980.
The Reds is not Triple Crown nominated, but can be supplemented to the 1 3/16-mile Preakness at the time of entry, May 10.
"This horse is really suited to run further. He's got that kind of temperament. He settles really well," Kimmel said. "I'm not sure if we'll come back in three weeks, but we'll see how the Derby and the participants in the Preakness shakes out and we'll go from there."
Miss Leslie Takes Weber City Miss
BB Horses' Miss Leslie , stretched back out around two turns after opening the year with back-to-back sprints, proved trainer Claudio Gonzalez's contention that longer is better with a 1 1/2-length victory in Saturday's $125,000 Weber City Miss.
Miss Leslie wins the Weber City Miss Stakes
In its sixth year, the Weber City Miss was being contested for the first time at Pimlico after having its first five runnings at Laurel Park. With the victory, Miss Leslie ($21.20) earned an automatic berth in the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) May 14 at Pimlico.
Gonzalez, a 44-year-old cancer survivor, entered grade 2 winner Landing Zone in last year's Black-Eyed Susan but had to scratch the morning of the race.
"Everybody wants to run in that race, and if this filly is doing good we're going to run," Gonzalez said. "Definitely."
Moonsafe , a frontrunning 15 1/4-length maiden claiming winner in her previous start Feb. 27 at Laurel, established command early and was in front after a quarter-mile in :24.59 and a half in :48.59, with 13-1 long shot Exogen in pursuit. After hopping at the start and getting squeezed back, Miss Leslie trailed the field through six furlongs in 1:12.78.
Miss Leslie began to gain momentum around the far turn and was swung five wide by jockey J.D. Acosta approaching the stretch as Moonsafe continued to lead. Miss Leslie continued her drive and swept past horses to earn her fourth career victory and second in a stakes.
The winning time was 1:44.28 over a fast main track. Oliviaofthedesertgot up for second, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Littlestitious , winner of the March 13 Beyond the Wire Stakes at Laurel and the 7-5 favorite.
Exogen, Moonsafe, and Hybrid Eclipse completed the order of finish. Fraudulent Charge , second in three consecutive stakes and a 5-2 second choice on the morning line, was scratched.
"Everybody knows speed is good, and a lot of horses had speed. I told J.D., stay behind the speed and then do one move," Gonzalez said. "He did it perfect. He rode just like we planned."
Gonzalez claimed Miss Leslie for $25,000 out of a win last November at Laurel and won two straight starts 16 days apart with the Paynter filly, including the about 1 1/16-mile Anne Arundel County Dec. 26 at Laurel, her only previous try going two turns. This year, she ran second to Street Lute in the six-furlong Xtra Heat Jan. 16 and sixth in the seven-furlong Wide Country Feb. 20.
"You see in that time I (ran Miss Leslie) from six furlongs to a mile and a sixteenth close together, because it was the only choice, and she proved to me that she can go long. This year she ran the two races short, and she was coming, but it's not the same as two turns. That's why I waited for long, and I know she can do it," Gonzalez said. "For me, a mile and a sixteenth or more is better."
Miss Leslie was bred in Kentucky by Maxis Stable out of the winning Mingun mare Zeenut. She is the first black type winner out of her dam, whose three starters all have been winners. The mare produced a Holy Boss filly April 9.