Count Again Motors By Smooth Like Strait in Shoemaker
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Count Again wins the Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita Park
Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said he told trainer Phil D'Amato Count Again was "ready to run" in the Shoemaker Mile (G1T) May 30 at Santa Anita and he wasn't kidding.
He just needed to grab a little Memorial Day holiday relaxation first.
Ortiz, already the winning jockey in three of the first four races on the card, including the Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes (G1), obviously was riding with confidence as he let Count Again take things easy at the back of the six-horse Shoemaker field as Dance Some Mo and the favorite, Smooth Like Strait , raced on the lead.
Entering the stretch turn, Flavien Prat gave Smooth Like Strait his cue and the 5-year-old son of Midnight Lute immediately said goodbye to the early rival and opened a daylight lead—an advantage that clearly was in immediate jeopardy.
Ortiz had Count Again in full flight by mid-turn and as the two straightened for home, Count Again gobbled up ground quickly, blew by the favorite without resistance and ran on to win by 1 1/4 lengths in a hand ride. Smooth Like Strait was easily second with Masteroffoxhounds third.
D'Amato trains both Count Again and Masteroffoxhounds as well as Dance Some Mo, whose early pressure on Smooth Like Strait helped set things up for his stablemate.
The victory was the second top-level score for the 7-year-old, Ontario-bred gelding by Awesome Again out of the Red Ransom mare Count to Three .
The race was the first North American Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge race and earned Count Again a guaranteed slot in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) at Keeneland Nov. 5 and D'Amato sounded enthusiastic about that prospect.
"This puts him in a position to win the Breeders' Cup Mile in November," he said.
Ortiz said he wasn't at all concerned about being well back of the leaders early as he was following the trainer's advice.
"He told me to let him do his thing. Don't rush him. I told Mr. D'Amato the horse was ready to run. He was ready to win," Ortiz said.
Ortiz admitted he realized the pace was a little fast commenting, "I was happy where I was. My horse, most of the time comes from way back off the pace and I just wanted to be in contact with the field and he put me right there in the first turn so I say, 'Why not? Let him be there.' And he responded really well.
"The trainer told me to keep him out, make sure he's out in the clear and that's what I did. When he hit the clear, I hit him one time and he took off."
D'Amato was happy with the performance and the ride.
"He was in a great position today and turning for home, he had the leader measured. He was sitting on a big race today," the trainer said.
Ortiz clearly was enjoying his banner day.
"I feel great, thank God," he said after the Gold Cup win. "All the fans here—feels good, it reminds me of home. I enjoy it."
Count Again was bred by Sam-Son Farm and races for Sam-Son in partnership with Agave Racing. The Shoemaker victory follows a sixth-place finish in his last race, the Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland where he was beaten just 1 3/4 lengths in a blanket finish while coming from last of eight.
He started the 2022 campaign with victories in the Thunder Road Stakes (G3T) and the Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1T), both at Santa Anita.
For Smooth Like Strait, the 2021 Shoemaker winner, it was another case of "second-itis". Since that victory a year ago, he now has posted five seconds and a third from six starts, the third coming in the Maker's Mark Mile. He also was second in the Breeders' Cup Mile in November at Del Mar.