Good Sam Wins Tempted; Champions Dream Takes Nashua

Peter Brant's Good Sam  kept her perfect record intact with a 3 1/2-length score in the Nov. 6 $150,000 Tempted Stakes, a one-turn mile for juvenile fillies over the main track at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., the son of Good Samaritan   entered from a gate-to-wire, 4 3/4-length debut score traveling 6 1/2 furlongs over a sloppy track Oct. 2 at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

Good Sam broke alertly from post 4 and settled in third position as Foggy Night  and Crypto Mama , who stumbled at the break from the inside post, dueled through an opening quarter-mile in :23.26 over the fast track.

The Paco Lopez-piloted Foggy Night led into the turn, with Good Sam cruising into contention to her outside under no urging from Ortiz to take command. Foggy Night dug in gamely for the stretch run but Good Sam continued to accelerate away from her rival, coming in slightly inside the eighth pole, before straightening away to win in 1:38.69.

Foggy Night completed the exacta by 4 1/2 lengths over Rosie's Alibi .

Lopez claimed foul against Ortiz for the incident at the eighth pole, with no change made to the order of finish.

"I feel like I never bothered the other horse. She went in when she changed leads, but I corrected her and never even hit him," Ortiz said. "I grabbed her and got her straight, and then I hit her a couple times on the left side and she was going forward."

Ortiz, Jr., who won a trio of Breeders' Cup races Friday and Saturday at Keeneland, said he felt comfortable throughout on the 1-2 favorite.

"This is a nice filly. She deserves all the credit," he said. "It was a pretty easy ride out there. She broke good and I took my time with her. Whenever I asked her, she responded.

"Last time, she was a little green in the stretch and today she was a little better. I think she's learning."

Pine Brook Farm's Foggy Night, trained by Butch Reid Jr., entered from an 11 1/4-length maiden score at third asking traveling one mile and 70 yards at Parx Racing.

"I really liked the race. It was a good effort after a long ship getting up here with the traffic in New York today," Reid said. "That horse did come over and take her lane away, but I guess the stewards didn't feel it was enough to make a change, but the horse did come over on us a little bit. I'm sure the margin of victory had something to do with it."

Reid said Foggy Night could return to the Big A for the Dec. 3 Demoiselle Stakes (G2), offering 10-4-3-2-1 qualifying points for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Good Sam, a $310,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of the Twirling Candy mare Twizzler, whose dam is multiple graded stakes winner Twist Afleet. She is the first black-type stakes winner for her freshman sire, Good Samaritan.

Bred in Kentucky by Maccabee Farm, Good Sam banked $82,500 while improving to 2-for-2. She returned $3 to win.

Champions Dream Rallies to Take Nashua Stakes

Rosedown Racing Stables' Champions Dream  overcame a troubled start to notch his first graded stakes victory under Ortiz in the $150,000 Nashua Stakes (G3), a one-mile main track test for juveniles.

Trained by Danny Gargan, Champions Dream improved from a distant fifth-place finish in the Champagne Stakes (G1) Oct. 1 where he was bumped at the start and never threatened over the sloppy and sealed going. This time, the gray son of Justify   was not deterred by a rough beginning and went widest of all to claim the three-quarter-length victory. His other win was an impressive wire-to-wire debut maiden score sprinting seven furlongs in September at Saratoga Race Course.

"He's only run three times. The second time he had a really bad trip, too," said Gargan. "Today, he learned how to overcome it. Today is the first time he learned how to finish. First time out, he won pulled up and didn't know how to finish. You don't know if they're going to do it at that level and run home until they're forced to. He figured it out."

Champions Dream broke a step slow from post 3 in the compact field of five and was forced to steady after running up on the heels of pacesetter Prove Right  when American Speed  moved inward from post 5. American Speed tracked in second to the outside, and the Manny Franco-piloted Full Moon Madness  settled in third along the rail through an opening quarter-mile in :23.10 over the fast main track.

Rounding the turn, American Speed dropped back as Full Moon Madness made a bid two-wide of Prove Right through a half-mile in :46.25. Full Moon Madness was all out down the lane to collar a stubborn Prove Right at the eighth pole, but Champions Dream, who was third at the stretch call, continued to find more four-wide in the center of the track. The pair of favorites matched strides at the sixteenth pole before Champions Dream took the advantage and drew away to post the victory in 1:39.17.

It was another 1 1/2 lengths back to Prove Right, who finished eight lengths ahead of American Speed. Torrone , who was never involved, was eased home to complete the order of finish. Signator  was scratched.

Gargan said he was proud to see Champions Dream overcome the poor start.

"He broke a little flat-footed today. He's fast and we thought we'd be on the lead," said Gargan. "Down the backside, Irad said he almost clipped heels and fell. The six-horse came over on him and he had to check. I was worried for a minute.

"Obviously, he didn't like the mud the last time we ran him and you never know when you have a horse that's been speedy, how they're going to run when they come from off of it," Gargan added. "Irad said he was sitting out there waiting to make his move. He was wide throughout, but he ran really good today."

Gargan added Champions Dream will likely be freshened, while promising maiden winner Dubyuhnell  is possible for the $250,000 Remsen (G2) Dec. 3 at the Big A, offering 10-4-3-2-1 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

Dancing Dreams is out of the Tapit  mare Dancinginherdreams, who has two starters from five foals. Bred by John C. Oxley, she was purchased this year at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds for $425,000 from the Parrish Farms consignment. 

He returned $4.70 to win.

Video: Tempted S. (BT)

Video: Nashua S. (G3)