Given a masterful ride by jockey Forest Boyce, In a Hurry slowed things down early and came running home late to turn back a bid from Plum Ali and earn her first career stakes victory in Saturday's $100,000 All Along at Pimlico Race Course.
Unlike her name, Stuart Janney III's homebred In a Hurry was in no rush as Boyce, Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey's go-to rider in Maryland, settled her on an uncontested lead through a quarter-mile in a leisurely :26.79 and a half mile in :52.65 with Gladys, a full sister to Hall of Fame mare Rachel Alexandra, and even-money favorite Plum Ali giving closest chase.
“It actually all worked out pretty well. I thought there would be two horses to go with us but luckily they left us alone and we kind of had it all our way, which was nice,” Boyce said. It was the second win of the day for Boyce after capturing Race 2 on West Newton, a 6-year-old gelding bred in England by Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away Sept. 8 at age 96.
“It feels great,” Boyce added, “especially with this horse because we keep knocking on the door and we hadn't quite gotten there yet. It's pretty special today.”
In a Hurry straightened for home in command with Capital Structure making a bid on the far outside and Plum Ali advancing up the rail as six furlongs went in 1:17.59. In a Hurry dug in determinedly and held Plum Ali at bay to win by a half-length in 1:52.71 over a firm turf course.
In each of her three prior races, In a Hurry tracked the pace and finished third in the July 16 Big Dreyfus at Laurel Park, Aug. 15 Old Nelson at Colonial Downs and May 21 Gallorette (G3), the latter on the undercard of the 147th Preakness Stakes (G1).
“I thought [going to the lead[ made whole lot of sense, particularly if it wasn't going to be contested. She likes to get into a nice gallop and she'll finish. She doesn't want to trail way behind I don't think. This was perfect for her,” Janney said of In a Hurry, who returned $10.20.
“We really wanted to win a stake with her and this looked like a good spot. We've been close. She's got a lot of black type but she just hadn't won a stake,” he added. “Obviously, Forest did a wonderful job today. I thought to myself when she was crossing the finish line that there had been any number of times when somebody else had done that to us, and it's kind of nice to be on the better side of that.”
Lake Lucerne was a length and a half behind Plum Ali in third, a head in front of Gladys, followed by Youens and Capital Structure. Champagne Toast was scratched.
The All Along is named for the French-bred filly that won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Rothmans International, Turf Classic and Laurel's Washington D.C. International in the span of 41 days in 1983 en route to becoming the first foreign-based horse to be voted U.S. Horse of the Year. A winner of nine races and more than $3 million in purses from 21 starts, she was inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame in 1990.
Sibelius Records First Stakes Win In Lite The Fuse
Also on the Pimlico card, Jun Park's and Delia Nash's 4-year-old gelding Sibelius won his first stakes race when he led throughout to win the $100,000 Lite The Fuse by 7 ½ lengths over favored multiple stakes winner Jaxon Traveler.
Sibelius, who had won one of his last six races, all coming against allowance optional claimer company, broke cleanly from the gate and took the lead from Jaxon Traveler shortly after the break.
Under jockey Junior Alvarado, the son of Not This Time was pressed past fractions of :22.76 and :45.43 by Quick Tempo before Jaxon Traveler moved three-wide entering the stretch and took aim on the leader. But Alvarado had plenty left under him, and Sibelius drew of down the stretch.
Trained by Jeremiah O'Dwyer, Sibelius covered the six furlongs in 1:09.30.
“When I started the race I thought they'd be a little more speed, but he came out of the gate running and I didn't want to take anything away. He was traveling very nicely. He was going it easily for him,” Alvarado said.
“It was a great effort by him today,” O'Dwyer said. “He's a 4-year-old now, and I think this is his year. He's put it all together.
O'Dwyer said he would consider running Sibelius next in the $350,000 Phoenix next month at Keeneland.
The post First-Time Stakes Winners: In A Hurry Annexes All Along, Sibelius Takes Lite The Fuse At Pimlico appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
