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Count Again Storms Home To Capture Thunder Road

Idle since Aug. 21, the Phil D'Amato-trained Count Again was ready for action on Saturday at Santa Anita, as he stormed home through the lane to take the Grade 3, $100,000 Thunder Road Stakes. Ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat, the 7-year-old gelding by Awesome Again got one mile on turf in 1:34.12.

With longshot Sniper Kitten showing the way to the far turn, Count Again was next to last in a field of six older horses, about four lengths off the lead heading into the far turn. Heavily favored Subconscious took control at the top of the lane while Count Again was on the move, while fourth and three-wide. In a ferocious stretch rally he inhaled the leaders late to win easily.

“The (time off) did him a ton of good,” said D'Amato. “He told me in his last race at Del Mar (a fifth place finish in the G2 Del Mar Mile), 'Hey, I've had a long campaign, maybe it's time to give me a freshener.' And we did that. The owners have been great. Sam-Son Farms, Mark Martinez of Agave Racing, they just told me to give him all the time he needs, and we brought him back fresh and happy.

“I think Flavien got acquainted with him, breezing him the last couple of times and I think that helped him with his timing. He's a horse that just takes him a while to get in gear, but once he does, he's got a pretty impressive late turn of foot.”

A Grade 2 winner in his first start for D'Amato six races back on Nov. 28, 2020, Count Again, who is out of the Red Ransom mare Count to Three and was bred in Ontario, Canada by Sam-Son Farm, was off at 5-2 and paid and paid $7.60, $2.80 and $2.40.

“I've been on this horse a few times in the morning, so I got to know him,” said Prat, who notched his meet-leading 10th stakes victory. “We had a good trip and he put me in the race. He was traveling super all the way around there and when I asked him to run, he gave me a good kick.”

A Grade 3 winner at Woodbine in Toronto, Count Again is now a three-time graded stakes winner and is 14-5-1-4 overall. With the winner's share of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $463,665.

The 3-5 favorite with Juan Hernandez, Subconscious appeared to be in control approaching the furlong pole, but he was no match for the winner close home while finishing three lengths in front of Ready Soul. Idle since Nov. 27, Subconscious returned $2.20 and $2.10.

Ready Soul, who is also trained by D'Amato, was off at 7-1 with John Velazquez and paid $2.60 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.32, 47.41, 1:11.16 and 1:22.65.

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Subconscious Looks To Add Another Graded Stakes To Resume In Thunder Road

A Grade 2 winner over the course two starts back, Richard Mandella-trained Subconscious heads a field of six older horses going one mile on turf in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Thunder Road Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Most recently fifth, beaten 2 ¼ lengths in the G1 Hollywood Derby going 1 1/8 miles on turf at Del Mar Nov. 27, Subconscious pressed the pace two starts back en route to an authoritative 1 ¼ length win going the same distance in the G2 Twilight Derby on Oct. 31, which was his third consecutive win.

Owned by LNJ Foxwoods, Subconscious took a one mile turf allowance in similar fashion three starts back on Oct. 2 and with Juan Hernandez back in the saddle, he looks to be the horse to beat as he shortens up a furlong for the Thunder Road. A 4-year-old gelding by Tapit, Subconscious has raced exclusively on grass while compiling an overall mark of 7-3-1-1.

A sharp third, beaten a half length at 5-2 in the G3 San Gabriel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on dirt Dec. 26, Phil D'Amato's Ready Soul gets back to his preferred surface as he seeks his first stakes victory in what will be his 14th career start. Ridden by Kent Desormeaux in the San Gabriel, he'll get the services of John Velazquez in the Thunder Road. Owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Old Bones Racing Stable, LLC and Michael Nentwig, Ready Soul, a 5-year-old gelding by More Than Ready, has two wins from three tries over the Santa Anita turf.

D'Amato's Count Again, who kept good company while winless in five starts last year, has been idle since running fifth to multiple Grade 1 winner Mo Forza in the G2 Del Mar Mile (turf) on Aug. 21 and looms dangerous with Flavien Prat taking over for the first time.

A 7-year-old gelding by Awesome Again, Count Again was bred in Ontario, Canada, by his co-owner Sam-Son Farm. A graded stakes winner in both Canada and Southern California, Count Again has two wins from four tries at one mile on turf and will likely try to rally from well off the pace on Saturday. Owned by Sam-Son Farm and Agave Racing Stable, Count Again has four wins from 13 overall starts and earnings of $403,665.

GRADE 3 THUNDER ROAD, WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS
IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 1 of 9 Post time 12:30 p.m. PT
1. Subconscious—Juan Hernandez—124
2. Sniper Kitten—Christopher Emigh—124
3. Count Again—Flavien Prat—124
4. Delaware—Mike Smith—124
5. Ready Soul—John Velazquez—122
6. Hurricane Cloud—Umberto Rispoli—122

First post time for a nine-race card which will include three graded stakes on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. Admission gates open at 10:30 a.m.

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Trainer Val Brinkerhoff Suffers Minor Injuries In Pre-Race Incident With Restrainedvengence

Veteran trainer Val Brinkerhoff suffered minor injuries in a pre-race incident with stable star Restrainedvengence on Saturday, reports the Daily Racing Form. The 6-year-old gelding was entered in the afternoon's G3 Thunder Road Stakes at Santa Anita Park, but was scratched after he reacted poorly to a pre-race blood draw and sent his trainer to the hospital.

Brinkerhoff, 64, said he was transported to the hospital because he takes blood thinners and doctors wanted to be sure he hadn't suffered internal bleeding. He was diagnosed with a cracked elbow, broken finger, and separated shoulder.

“I was more worried about my horse,” Brinkerhoff told drf.com. “He just don't like that needle. When he blows up, you might as well forget it.”

Hit The Road Gives Blacker First Graded Stakes Win In Thunder Road

Idle since winning a restricted stakes at Del Mar July 10, Hit the Road hit the comeback trail running Saturday at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as he strode home to a brilliant 3 ¾-length win in the Grade 3, $100,000 Thunder Road Stakes, providing trainer Dan Blacker with his first-ever graded stakes win. Ridden to his third consecutive win by Umberto Rispoli, Hit the Road got one mile on turf in a scintillating 1:33.35, eclipsing Om's 2018 Thunder Road record time of 1:33.54.

A comfortable third, about three lengths off the lead heading into the clubhouse turn, Hit the Road was in hand behind dueling leaders Sombeyay and Bob and Jackie three furlongs out and narrowed the gap to one length at the top of the lane. Taking his cue from Rispoli, Hit the Road, who was three-deep turning for home, engaged the leaders and in an instant, opened up by three lengths a sixteenth from home en route to a huge win.

“He's just a really special horse and I am so lucky to have him,” said Blacker, 38. “Like I said before the race, he was born a great horse. I'm just lucky to have him in my barn. Umberto worked the horse in 59 (seconds) a week ago and he called me after the work and said, 'He just worked okay.' I was kind of worried he didn't think he looked too good. Then after (today's) race he told me, 'I didn't want you to get too excited.'

“For me, the horse is a champion in my eyes and I'm just so thankful to the group of owners.”

The third choice in a field of six older horses at 3-1, Hit the Road paid $8.20, $4.40 and $3.40.

Owned D K Racing, LLC, Radley Equine, Inc., Taste of Victory Stables, Rick Gold and Dave Odmark, Hit the Road, a 4-year-old by More Than Ready, out of the U S Ranger mare Highway Mary, notched his first graded stakes win and his third overall added money victory. A perfect two for two last year, he's now five for eight lifetime and with the winner's share of $60,000, increased his earnings to $254,751.

“He's a nice horse,” said Rispoli. “We always believed in him and had faith in him. … I was on top of the race and by the five-furlong marker he was already pulling hard and I could understand he was fresh. He was so good today. At the top of the stretch, he had good acceleration and covered good ground. It was a good comeback, so now it's up to Dan (as to) what he is going to do.”

Bob and Jackie, who was in the fight from the gate, proved second best under Heriberto Figueroa and paid $4.00 and $2.60 as the 2-1 favorite.

Border Town, who was ridden by Flavien Prat, was just up to nip Sombeyay by a nose for third money and paid $4.00 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.60, 46.80, 1:10.18 and 1:21.87.

The post Hit The Road Gives Blacker First Graded Stakes Win In Thunder Road appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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