Entrymates Run One-Two in Excellsior

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/22/2014 - 13:19
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Entrymates Run One-Two in Excellsior
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Entrymates Romansh and Long River ran one-two in the $150,000 Excellsior Stakes (gr. III) at Aqueduct Racetrack on March 22, the winner surging back after being headed by his fellow Godolphin-owned rival.

Romansh, carrying top weight of 123 pounds based on his 9 1/4-length score and career-high Beyer of 110 in last November's Discovery Handicap (gr. III), broke alertly from the outside as the 1A part of the entry and tracked pacesetter Percussion through opening fractions of :23.68 and :47.90. Long River was never far back in the field of six, rating third on the rail as three-quarters went in 1:12.07.

Heading into the far turn, Romansh pulled jockey Jose Ortiz up to the front outside the pacesetter under his own power, and set off for home through a mile in 1:36.79. Long River, shifted outside by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., put in a good run to hook up with Romansh and actually poked a nose in front mid-stretch, but the inside horse fought back determinedly to put his neck in front on the line.

Final time for the 1 1/8-mile test for older horses was 1:49.07 on the fast inner track.

Romansh, a 4-year-old son of Bernardini  , came into the Excellsior after finishing 11th in the Donn Handicap (gr. I) at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 9, his season debut and first outing since winning the Discovery. The Excellsior is his first graded stakes victory; he was awarded victory in the July 26 Curlin Stakes at Saratoga Race Course last summer via disqualification, and ran fifth in the Travers (gr. I) in August and sixth in the Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) in September before getting some time leading into his November Discovery score.

Favored at 1-5, Romansh and Long River paid $2.50, $2.50, and $2.10. Percussion held for third and returned $2.80, while Dawly, Praetereo, and Don Dulce completed the order of finish. Mr Palmer scratched.

Bred in Kentucky by Darley and Lynn B. Schiff out of the Go for Gin mare Cologny, Romansh improved his career record to four wins and a third from nine starts, with earnings of $373,580.