Gucci Factor Wins Poker Stakes Blanket Finish by a Nose
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Susie Raisher
Gucci Factor (outside) gets a nose in front to win the Poker Stakes at Belmont Park
With a wall of horses crossing the finish line in tandem, Castleton Lyons' Gucci Factor won the head bob June 16 to take the $300,000 Poker Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park, racking up his second straight win this year and third straight overall.
While Dr. Edgar led the field through most of the one-mile turf test in fractions of :23.71, :46.68, and 1:10.44 for six furlongs, and remained in front through the stretch, half of the eight-horse field came running at him at the end. Gucci Factor was on the far outside of the five-horse blanket finish, with Hembree, Krampus, Dr. Edgar, and Clyde's Image finishing in that order mere noses apart.
"He was trying really hard and running at the end, I'm just glad we got close at the wire," said rider Joel Rosario of the winner. "He showed a lot of heart. He's there for you all the time. He's a real honest horse. He just loves to run."
Trained by Christophe Clement, Gucci Factor had raced in seventh until making his move in late stretch. The winner paid $12.20, $6.70, and $4.20 across the board. Runner-up Hembree returned $10.20 and $5.60 to place and Krampus returned $8.60 to show.
"He's a nice horse that has never stopped improving," Clement said. "He's an anxious kind of a horse. He loves Belmont Park and he never stopped getting better. It's nice when the patience pays off. ... You could see he was coming with run toward the wire and watching Joel not having to use his whip. You know he thought he was going to get there. A very tight race and they all ran well."
Gucci Factor won the May 27 Kingston Stakes at Belmont in his season debut, and the Gio Ponti gelding had closed out his 5-year-old year with an allowance optional-claiming score at Tampa Bay Downs. In 2018 he won three of five starts and placed third in the Ashley T. Cole Stakes at Belmont. After Sunday's score he has tallied seven wins from 14 starts and earnings of $443,450.
Bred by Highclere out of the Dynaformer mare Shoo In, Gucci Factor is a half brother to stakes-placed Ichibon Warrior. His breeder consigned him to The Saratoga Sale in 2014, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale in New York, where he was purchased by Castleton Lyons for $150,000.
The 9-5 favorite Clyde's Image took a bad step nearing the wire and bobbled. The son of Get Stormy was eased and according to the Equibase chart he was pulled up and vanned off. According to a report by the Daily Racing Form, he sustained a tendon injury and will be retired from racing.