Sea Foam Digs In for Alex M. Robb Score
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Sea Foam outlasts Danny California to win the Alex M. Robb Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
Ten Strike Racing, Four Corners Racing Stable, Broadview Stables, and Cory Moelis Racing's Sea Foam closed the door on his 2021 campaign in New York's final stakes race of the year in the Dec. 31 $100,000 Alex M. Robb Stakes.
Trained by Michelle Giangiulio, Sea Foam led at every pole in the nine-furlong test after winning a battle for the lead with Captain Bombastic and Jose Lezcano into the first turn. The 6-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro made his way to the front with coaxing from jockey Kendrick Carmouche, leading the field of seven through an opening quarter-mile in :23.43. After coasting through a half-mile in :47.92 and three quarters in 1:12.32, Sea Foam was joined by Our Last Buck and Captain Bombastic as the field turned for home.
With right-handed urging from Carmouche, Sea Foam dug in valiantly, refusing to yield his lead to Our Last Buck and a late-closing Danny California with Jose Ortiz up in the center of the racetrack. Sea Foam fended off Danny California's charge to hold on by a half-length under the wire. Our Last Buck completed the trifecta.
"He's a one trick pony," said Carmouche, who rode Sea Foam for the first time in his last start to a third in the Empire Classic at Belmont Park. "You just got to get him to the lead and let him keep rolling. (Giangiulio) had him ready off that last race at Belmont. I just had to get him to the lead and manage him from there. Every time they ran up to him I asked him, and he gave me more, gave me more. We got us another one."
Sea Foam ran the 1 1/8 miles on a muddy track in 1:52.17. The even-money post-time favorite, Sea Foam returned $4.30 for a $2 wager.
"I'm glad we were able to get out in front and he relaxed nicely," said Giangiulio. "I know Danny California. I used to get on him when I worked for Tom Morley and I know he likes a wet track, so I was a little worried he was going to keep coming. I'm just happy we got to the wire at the right time. I was begging for the wire for a second."
Giangiulio said Sea Foam will likely continue racing throughout the winter.
"We haven't discussed what we'll do with him next," said Giangiulio. "Hopefully, things work out the way they've been going. He had a nice break in between this race, so hopefully he comes back well."
The Alex M. Robb for New York-breds was the second stakes victory this year for Sea Foam, who won the Evan Shipman Handicap Aug. 11 at Saratoga Race Course, giving Giangiulio the first stakes win of her training career. Sea Foam was previously conditioned by Christophe Clement, picking up a win in the Notebook at Aqueduct as a juvenile and two stakes victories as a sophomore before being claimed for $45,000 out of a win at Saratoga this year by his current connections.
"It's hard to comprehend how well I've been doing," Giangiulio said. "I was always confident in myself as a trainer, but it's hard to even think about what I've accomplished. I've put many years into this, so it's not like it happened overnight. I'm just so happy and thrilled it's worked out the way it has for some really good people, too. It's been great."
Bred in New York by Waterville Lake Stables, Sea Foam banked $55,000 for his Alex M. Robb victory, boosting his total purse earnings to $774,745 and improving his record to 10-3-3 from 26 starts.