Reddam Racing homebred Slow Down Andy (Nyquist) upset 'TDN Rising Star' and last-out GIII Bob Hope S. winner Messier (Empire Maker) Saturday with a decisive score in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity S.
A debut winner against fellow Cal-breds going 5 1/2 panels at Santa Anita Oct. 9, he was a close second in Del Mar's seven-furlong Golden State Juvenile S. Nov. 5 and was dispatched at 5-1 in this first try around two turns and against open company.
Away a step slow from the outside stall in this field of five, Slow Down Andy was pulled back towards the inside by rider Mario Gutierrez, who also piloted his Eclipse-winning sire, and settled at the back of the pack alongside the Bob Baffert-trained Barossa (Into Mischief). Olympic Legend (Street Boss), a 45-1 shot, dictated terms with Slow Down Andy's stablemate Durante (Distorted Humor) on his outside hip and heavily favored Messier just off that one's flank through a :22.79 opening quarter. Slow Down Andy continued to watch the show alongside Barossa as Messier charged up to turn up the heat on the pacesetter. Olympic Legend and Durante inched a bit ahead to maintain the initial order as the half went in :46.62.
Durante had enough waiting at that point, sweeping to the lead with Messier right beside him as Olympic Legend called it quits. Slow Down Andy and Barossa charged up in unison to confront the top two and they were four across turning for home with Slow Down Andy in the four path. Barossa and Durante both threw in the towel at the top of the lane leaving Messier and Slow Down Andy to duke it out for the top spot. A battle ensued, with the pair brushing briefly, before Slow Down Andy kicked it into high gear, rolling clear of the chalk to spring the upset by a length over Messier. It was nine lengths back to Barossa in third with Durante back in fourth. Olympic Legend was eased.
“If it was up to me we would have run in the California-bred race [King Glorious S. Sunday]. It was strictly Paul [Reddam] wanting to take a chance and having faith in Slow Down Andy and thank God he did. We figured our other horse [Durante] would show speed and being in [post five] we hoped Mario [Gutierrez] would get good position and ride his race. Down the stretch it looked like we had it and then we didn't and then we did, so it was very exciting. He doesn't really remind me of Nyquist. This horse has a lot of different gears and Nyquist was just a beast, so precocious. This horse is pretty calm and more mentally versatile at this stage than Nyquist ever was.”
“He relaxed perfectly early,” Gutierrez said. “When I saw the opening going to the turn I sent him through and he responded. I think he was just playing around in the stretch. When Messier got back in front of him, he regained his focus and showed his heart.”
Pedigree Notes:
Hailing from the second crop of his connections' champion and GI Kentucky Derby hero Nyquist, Slow Down Andy is the third graded winner and seventh black-type scorer for his sire. His dam Edwina E (Square Eddie) is also a Reddam homebred, who was winless in two starts, but has produced three winners from three foals of racing age. Her second foal is Slow Down Andy's stakes-winning full-brother Team Merchants. The 9-year-old mare's recent produce includes a yearling colt by the Reddam and O'Neill-campaigned dual Classic winner I'll Have Another. Her 2021 colt by Pavel died.
Saturday, Los Alamitos
LOS ALAMITOS FUTURITY-GII, $300,000, Los Alamitos, 12-11, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:42.33, ft.
1–SLOW DOWN ANDY, 120, c, 2, by Nyquist
1st Dam: Edwina E, by Square Eddie
2nd Dam: Electric Daze, by Gilded Time
3rd Dam: Electric Fable, by Quiet American
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-Reddam
Racing, LLC (CA); T-Doug F. O'Neill; J-Mario Gutierrez.
$180,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $249,850.
*Full to Team Merchants, SW, $177,490. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Messier, 120, c, 2, Empire Maker–Checkered Past, by Smart
Strike. ($470,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-Golconda Stable, Madaket
Stables LLC, SF Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Starlight Racing,
Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine Donovan, Robert E.
Masterson & Jay A. Schoenfarber; B-Sam-Son Farm (ON);
T-Bob Baffert. $60,000.
3–Barossa, 120, c, 2, Into Mischief–Bouquet Booth, by Flower
Alley. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($775,000
Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Golconda Stable, Madaket Stables LLC,
SF Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Starlight Racing, Stonestreet
Stables, LLC, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine Donovan,
Robert E. Masterson & Jay A. Schoenfarber; B-Spendthrift
Farm, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $36,000.
Margins: 1, 9, 1 3/4. Odds: 5.20, 0.50, 3.10.
Also Ran: Durante, Olympic Legend.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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