Alsvid Doesn't Miss in Second Count Fleet Try
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A year ago, Black Hawk Stable's Alsvid was a neck away from his first graded stakes score in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (gr. III) .
In this season's edition of the $300,000 race at Oaklawn Park, the 6-year-old gelding did not miss, recovering from a stumble at the start to catch Ivan Fallunovalot in the stretch and win by three-quarters of a length.
The son of Officer was quick into action, especially considering the awkward start, and tracked early leader and 37-1 longshot Picko's Pride through fast opening fractions of :21.31 and :44.05. Ivan Fallunovalot got the first run at the leader and led by two lengths in the stretch, but was caught on the outside by Alsvid, who left the gate at odds of 9-1.
Bred in Kentucky by Yanagawa Stud out of Afternoon Deelites mare Reagle Mary, Alsvid received a perfectly-timed ride by jockey Chris Landeros under a 116-pound impost. The pair covered the six furlongs in 1:08.36, the fastest six furlongs of the meet and the fastest in the Count Fleet since Bonapaw won it in 1:08 in 2001. Ivan Fallunovalot was the highweight at 121 and had defeated Alsvid in their previous meeting, the Feb. 7 King Cotton Stakes.
"He fell out of the gate and literally broke about a length in front and Chris rides this horse so good," trainer Chris Hartman said. "He knows him well, tucked him into third, and saved some for the end, and he came running down the middle."
The Count Fleet was Hartman's 30th winner during the Oaklawn meet and placed him four victories ahead of Steve Asmussen heading into the final two days of the meeting.
The winner paid $21, $7.40, and $4.60 across the board. Ivan Fallunovalot delivered $3.60 and $3.40, and Picko's Pride hung on for third to pay $10.
Alsvid improved his record to 12-7-3 from 29 career starts and pushed his earnings to $933,465 with the $180,000 winner's share.
The gelding won his first race in six tries at Oaklawn in a allowance/optional claiming event last time out March 27 and has two wins over the Arkansas oval with the Count Fleet Sprint victory.
"Now he loves Oaklawn," Hartman said with a laugh.
Beyond Picko's Pride, Double Ours closed to finish fourth, followed by Unbridled's Note, Best of Birdstone, and 4-5 favorite Gentlemen's Bet, to complete the order of finish. Speechify was scratched.