Talented Colt Eagle Seems to Have Hit Stride
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Photo: Hodges Photography/Amanda Hodges Weir
Eagle wins the Tenacious Stakes.
Eagle, a 3-year-old Candy Ride colt, seems to have hit his stride after earning his first stakes victory in the Tenacious Stakes Dec. 19 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
And Will Farish's Kentucky homebred colt out of the Mineshaft mare Sea Gull did so impressively: He completed the one mile and 70 yards in 1:41.63, just three-fifths of a second off the track record established in 1936.
Eagle won his career debut at Ellis Park in July 2014 and ended his 2-year-old season with a close third-place finish in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) at Churchill Downs. He got a break after a disappointing effort in the Lecomte Stakes (gr. III) at Fair Grounds in January and a subsquent injury, but has won his last three starts against older horses, including allowance races at Keeneland and Churchill.
"He traveled well for us," said Brian Hernandez Jr., who has ridden Eagle in all nine of his starts. "It was great that he was finally able to get a stakes win tonight. We've been really high on him ever since his first start, so to see him run as big as he did was very satisfying.
"He was a little immature last year and he's put it all together this year. Even last year he showed a lot of talent ever since he worked his first half-mile. (Trainer) Neil (Howard) and the whole crew have done a great job being patient with him and having him come along the right way."
"As Brian said, he just needed time to mature and he has done really well over the last few months," Howard said. "We've always like him; he just needed time to grow up."
Howard said Eagle will be pointed toward the major races for older horses at Fair Grounds. The next is the $75,000 Louisiana Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 16, followed by the $125,000 Mineshaft Handicap (gr. III) Feb. 20 and the $400,000 New Orleans Handicap (gr. II) Mar. 26.
Freestyler finished second and Ride On Curlin third in the Tenacious. Eagle rated in fifth early before making his move on the final turn and defeated Freestyler by 1 1/4 lengths. Eagle now has $195,406 in earnings.