Hawkish Soars to Victory in Penn Mile
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Photo: B & D Photography
Hawkish is all alone at the wire in the Penn Mile at Penn National Race Course
A choice to keep two runners apart paid dividends June 2 for the connections of Hawkish.
The 3-year-old Artie Schiller gelding hit the road for Pennsylvania and the $500,000 Penn Mile (G2T) to avoid a tangle with Catholic Boy in the Pennine Ridge Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park. Robert LaPenta and Madaket Stables co-own both contenders, and less than two hours after Catholic Boy took his Belmont test, Hawkish brought home the victory for the travel team at Penn National Race Course.
"It was a good decision to send (Catholic Boy) in that direction and Hawkish in this direction. He made the right decision on this end," trainer Jimmy Toner said of LaPenta, whose partnership in Hawkish includes breeder AJ Suited.
Hawkish steadied early under jockey Manuel Franco to avoid He's Bankable, who came over into his path, and was sixth as Encumbered and Maraud alternately set and pressed the pace through a quarter in :23.24 and a half in :47.62. The eventual winner moved up to fourth on the outside as Encumbered led through three-quarters in 1:11.94 and commenced his rally three wide into the far turn before edging four wide for room approaching the lane.
"He wanted to go early, but I held him up," Franco said. "At the three-eighths, I had so much horse that I let him go and went around them."
Although he lugged in sharply while taking command entering the final furlong, Hawkish readily drew off under a brisk hand ride to win by three lengths in a final time of 1:35.16 on a course rated firm. He returned $4.80, $3.40, and $2.80 as the favorite in a seven-horse field.
Way Early rallied from the back of the pack to finish second, while Coltandmississippi missed the place by a neck. Maraud, Encumbered, Therapist, and He's Bankable completed the order of finish. Smart Remark was scratched.
"The strategy was to try to get him to back off," Toner said. "(Smart Remark) scratched, so there was only one speed horse. I said (to Franco), 'Just keep him engaged and give him something to run at.' He rode a great race, the way he sat there on him. When he turned him loose, it was really fun to watch."
It was just the fourth start and second step to graded company for Hawkish, whose dam, the unraced Unbridled mare Bridal Memories, is a daughter of multiple grade 1 winner Memories of Silver. Unraced at 2, he broke his maiden in January at first asking at Gulfstream Park, ran fourth in the Palm Beach Stakes (G3T) there in March, won an April 15 allowance/optional claimer at Aqueduct Racetrack, and took the jump to grade 2 company Saturday in stride.
"He's a monster," Toner said. "Some people worry about making (these) moves, but when you've got a horse with that kind of natural ability, you take those aggressive moves and move him up in company. It's worthwhile."
The win punched Hawkish's ticket to the July 7 Belmont Derby Invitational (G1T).