Foley Finds Sweet Spot for Hog Creek Hustle

When Hog Creek Hustle rallied down the homestretch June 8 at Belmont Park to win the Woody Stephens Stakes (G1), the 3-year-old colt did exactly what trainer Vickie Foley thought he was capable of. Something Special Racing's son of Overanalyze  placed in multiple graded events prior to the Woody Stephens, and his breakthrough victory handed Foley her first grade 1 victory. 

For Foley, horse racing has been a constant. She grew up in Oldham County outside Louisville, Ky., and spent the summers traveling to Ohio and Michigan to groom horses and walk hots with her brother Greg, who is also a trainer, and their late father, Dravo.

"We just grew up around it and it was like second nature," Foley said.

After graduating from Western Kentucky University in 1979 with a degree in business administration and a minor in communications, Foley was still trying to decide what she wanted to do to make a living. She made her way to Gulfstream Park where her brother was located with horses for their dad, and it didn't take long for the training gene to resurface. She sent out her first starter in 1981.

In addition to Hog Creek Hustle, Foley has trained She Says It Best, winner of the 2005 Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G2) at Keeneland, and Sky Terrace, who won the 2002 Derby Trial Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

Foley knew she had a talented charge in Hog Creek Hustle at Ellis Park last summer. The dark bay colt, bred in Kentucky by Hargus Sexton, Sandra Sexton & Silver Fern Farm out of the Candy Ride  mare Candy Fortune, was a $150,000 purchase by Stewart Smith from Warrendale Sales' consignment to the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He debuted in August going five furlongs and rallied from seventh of 10 to win by three-quarters of a length.

"He was sprinting and he just swooped up on them," she said. "It was very impressive."

Hog Creek Hustle wrapped up his juvenile season with a third-place effort in the Sugar Bowl Stakes once at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots for the winter. In his sophomore debut he finished second to eventual Preakness Stakes (G1) winner War of Will in the Lecomte Stakes (G3) and continued on the Road to the Kentucky Derby series with a fourth in the Risen Star Stakes presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) and an eighth in the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2).

Back at his Churchill Downs base and no longer up against War of Will, Hog Creek Hustle rebounded to finish second in the Pat Day Mile Stakes presented by LG and E and KU (G3) on Derby Day. 

"He ran good in the Lecomte, but he still didn't have that real close on him like he does going the one-turn mile or the seven-eighths," Foley said of Hog Creek Hustle. "That's why we decided to back him up and go in the Pat Day Mile after New Orleans. We just felt like even if at the last minute we would have gotten the (Derby) points—we were right up there to have enough points; it was kind of iffy if we would get in—we wanted to do the right thing by the horse. The Pat Day Mile was the best way to go. Distance, I just believe he's a true come-from-behind sprinter."

Hog Creek Hustle finished one better in the seven-furlong Woody Stephens when he rallied from 10th to get up by a neck and hold off Nitrous. Foley and jockey Corey Lanerie had to wait a few extra minutes for the official result due to a stewards' inquiry involving Mind Control checking at the three-sixteenths pole while Hog Creek Hustle made his move.

"He lived up to what I thought he would do," Foley said. "I truly believed there would be a hot pace, the horse had been doing fabulous, and it just played the way I thought it would other than the inquiry, which was quite nerve-wracking."

Foley described Hog Creek Hustle as a quiet horse who hangs back in his stall, gallops well in the morning, but becomes fired up on race day. The colt is settled back in his stall at Churchill, but Foley has another trip to New York in mind for him this summer.

"We're definitely shooting for the Allen Jerkens in August," she said. 

The seven-furlong H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes presented by Runhappy (G1) for 3-year-olds runs Aug. 24 at Saratoga Race Course. Foley also named the July 28 Amsterdam Stakes (G2), run at 6 1/2 furlongs, as a possible prep.