U S Marshal Upstages Decision Day in Wando

U S Marshal dispatched Queen's Plate hopeful Decision Day in the final furlong and won the $100,000 Wando Stakes  April 19 at Woodbine.

 

Richard and Nancy Kaster's homebred Badge of Silver   colt won by a length from Seventhfleethumor and covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.54 at 4-1 odds on the Polytrack surface.

 

U S Marshal was never more than a length back, as he pressed 2014 Coronation Futurity winner and even-money favorite Decision Day through fractions of :25.03, :49.99, and 1:14.87 for six furlongs.

 

Jockey David Moran urged U S Marshal into motion through the final turn, putting away Decision Day, and stayed on strongly down the lane to hold off a bid from Seventhfleethumor. Bear At Last rallied from last to take third. Donver Stables' Decision Day, an early U.S. Triple Crown nominee, who was unplaced in two starts at Gulfstream Park this winter, faded to finish last in the compact field of five.

 

"Going down the back, he was dragging me along nicely," Moran said of U S Marshal. "I could see Jesse (Campbell, aboard Decision Day) was already struggling at the half, and once I got most of the way around the turn, I just sent him about it and he never stopped. He kept going strong to the wire."

 

Moran said he was not too concerned with the rest of the field once he made the lead.

 

"He was very game and I never felt like he was going to stop. He tried all the way to the wire."

 

A maiden winner for trainer Ian Black entering the Wando, U S Marshal was fourth in a Gulfstream turf allowance last time out March 25. He enjoyed a strong juvenile season at Woodbine, finishing third in the Summer Stakes (Can-II) on turf, before graduating in his final start of the campaign. He has 2-2-1 from nine career starts and earnings of $122,614.

 

Produced from the unraced Thunder Gulch mare Reigning Dynasty, Kentucky-bred U S Marshall is a half brother to Canadian graded stakes winner Really Sharp.