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6-Year-Old Chateau Makes Graded Stakes Debut Winning One In Tom Fool

Michael Dubb's Chateau made his graded stakes debut on Saturday, and the veteran 6-year-old proved it was worth the wait after surging to the front and having plenty left in the tank en route to a gate-to-wire 3 1/2-length score in the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap for 4-year-olds and up at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Chateau, who had made just two previous stakes appearances through his first 32 career starts, broke sharp under meet-leading rider Kendrick Carmouche from post 3, leading the six-horse field through swift opening fractions of 22.81 seconds for the quarter-mile with the half in 46.18 over the fast main track.

Chateau built on his advantage approaching the turn and was never seriously challenged in the stretch, besting a charging Wendell Fong to complete the six-furlong course in 1:12.10.

Chateau, who earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure for a 1 1/2-length win against allowance company on January 18 going six furlongs, again led at every point of call at the Big A for trainer Rob Atras. The Flat Out gelding notched consecutive wins for the first time since 2018, when he won three in a row at the claiming and allowance levels.

“That was emotional,” Atras said. “He came running out of the gate and put away the other speed horse [Happy Farm], who is no slouch. Kendrick broke him so sharp. We had a plan; obviously it was no secret. He put away that horse and was controlling the race and got a little separation. When they turned for home, it didn't look like anyone was coming and Kendrick still had some horse. It was an amazing performance.

“We've always liked him and Kendrick has really figured out how to ride him. He's been a big help.”

Atras, who took over the training duties last year, has seen Chateau go 2-2-2 in his last six starts and now could earn the right to face even more challenging competition in the Grade 1, $300,000 Carter Handicap, with the seven-furlong sprint on the undercard of the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 3 at Aqueduct.

“It might be pushing it for distance, but off this race anything is possible,” Atras said. “We'll see how he comes out of the race and go from there.”

Off at 7-2, Chateau returned $9.60 on a $2 win wager. The Kentucky bred improved his career earnings to $477,769.

“When you read into it and there's a lot of speed, nine times out of ten, it doesn't happen that way. I knew my horse had to be forwardly placed,” Carmouche said. “I figured him out last time. This time I knew Rob had given him enough time in between races where he could carry his speed a little longer.

Carmouche has been aboard for his last two victories.

“The track is a little different than last time and is a little deeper,” Carmouche said. “The speed is carrying. But no matter what I just had to let him run his race and carry him home.”

Gold Square's Wendell Fong, who gave trainer Natalia Lynch her first career win in the Fire Plug in January at Laurel Park, outkicked Speed Pass by 3 1/4 lengths for second.

“It set up perfect. He did everything he was supposed to do and our goal was to see if he could handle the track and he did his job today,” said Lynch, who said she excepts Wendell Fong to go to the Carter. “It's just really good to see him compete at this level again.”

Added Wendell Fong rider Trevor McCarthy: “He got a good break. The Baffert horse [No. 5, Speed Pass] broke bad and then rushed up to get position and I thought that was the horse that would take me there and be a good horse to follow. When I tipped out, he finished up strong. He just couldn't catch the speed horses. They were going at a pretty decent fraction and speed is pretty good here at Aqueduct.”

Pete's Play Call, the favorite, finished fourth, with Happy Farm and Share the Ride completing the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card highlighted by the $100,000 Biogio's Rose, a one-turn mile for state-bred fillies and mares 4-years-old and up in Race 7. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

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Wendell Fong Will Try To ‘Run The Show’ In Tom Fool

Gold Square's Wendell Fong will look to make the grade in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap, a six-furlong sprint for older horses at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Tom Fool is part of a loaded Saturday card that includes the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham, a one-turn mile contest that provides 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers; the $250,000 Busher Invitational for 3-year-old fillies offering 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points; and the $125,000 Heavenly Prize Invitational, a one-turn mile for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up.

Wendell Fong provided trainer Natalia Lynch – previously an assistant and exercise rider for Jeremiah Englehart – her first career win last out with a neck score in the six-furlong Fire Plug on January 16 at Laurel Park.

“He's pretty special,” said Lynch, who went out on her own last year. “He has so much personality. It's his world and we live in it at the barn. He really runs the show.”

Lynch helped prepare the 5-year-old son of Flat Out, previously trained by Englehart, for a winning career debut in December 2018 at Laurel. She was also along for the journey with Wendell Fong through a win in the 2019 Gold Fever at Belmont in a campaign that ended with a prominent fifth in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens at Belmont and a tenth in the Grade 2 Amsterdam at Saratoga.

Winless in six starts last season, Wendell Fong made his seasonal debut a winning one in the Fire Plug. Due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions, Lynch had to send Wendell Fong to the care of trainer Brittany Russell, who Lynch had previously worked for in Maryland.

Lynch said Wendell Fong's successful return to stakes company was very rewarding.

“When he first came to me in the fall a lot of people wanted me to put him in for a tag, but I always felt we could get him back to where he deserved to be,” said Lynch. “It's been a lot of believing in him and letting him tell us what he needed. To see him win that stakes race was really special. He showed so much heart. He ran back to how he used to run and he knew he won. When he got home, he bounced off the trailer. He was really proud of himself.”

Following a brief freshening, Wendell Fong worked an easy half-mile in 50.50 seconds with Lynch up on February 26 on the Belmont dirt training track.

“He went to Patty Hogan's farm for a bit of a break. He went out and played in the field for a few weeks and was a horse,” said Lynch. “When he came back in it didn't look like he lost too much fitness running around the field. We gave him a nice little breeze and it felt like he handled it OK.

“I don't let anyone else sit on him. He's a handful,” added Lynch “He was with me for a lot of the time in Maryland at Laurel. He came there before his first race and ended up staying through to the Woody Stephens.”

Lynch said she has worked on having the strong-minded Wendell Fong return to a settle and pounce racing style. The dark bay posted a good runner-up effort from off the pace on December 3 under Trevor McCarthy on December 3 at Laurel ahead of the last-to-first score with Sheldon Russell up in the Fire Plug.

“In the Woody Stephens, they changed his running style a little bit and sent him straight to the lead,” said Lynch. “After that, he kept trying to go to the lead and we had to get him back in the habit of coming from off the pace.

“The race before last, Trevor did a good job of getting him to settle and make his one run and it paid off in the Fire Plug,” added Lynch. “Sheldon did the same thing last time and let him take a deep breath. He loves to stalk horses.”

Lynch said a good result on Saturday could set up a return to Grade 1 company for Wendell Fong in the $300,000 Carter Handicap, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses on April 3 at the Big A.

“I hope it sets up on Saturday the way we want. I really want to get him over the surface and see how he handles it,” said Lynch. “If he likes it and is doing OK, we can head to the Carter.”

McCarthy has the call on Wendell Fong from the outermost post 6.

Multiple graded stakes-winner Share the Ride, trained by Antonio Arriaga for owner Silvino Ramirez, captured the Grade 3 Fall Highweight in November at the Big A and added a score in the Grade 3 General George last out on February 20 at Laurel Park.

The 6-year-old Candy Ride gelding enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2020, posting a record of 4-2-1 from nine starts.

Share the Ride will emerge from post 2 under returning rider Victor Carrasco.

Karl Watson, Michael E. Pegram, and Paul Weitman's Speed Pass, a 5-year-old son of Bodemeister trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, will make his first start outside of California.

The lightly raced gelding earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure for a seven-length optional-claiming romp in December 2019 at Los Alamitos Race Course ahead of a third in the Grade 3 Palos Verdes in January 2020.

Speed Pass returned off an 11-month layoff last out to finish third in an optional-claiming sprint on January 30 at Santa Anita.

“He needed that race,” Baffert said. “This is going to be a step up. There was a race here at Santa Anita going seven furlongs, but I think six furlongs is going to be his limit. We'll take a swing at it and see how he fits in. Those New York horses are pretty tough.”

Manny Franco will guide Speed Pass from post 5.

Michael Dubb's Pete's Play Call was claimed for $62,500 out of a winning effort in an optional-claiming sprint in November and promptly won the Gravesend on January 2 at 6 1/2-furlongs over a muddy and sealed Aqueduct main track.

The 8-year-old Munnings chestnut followed that effort last out with a pacesetting second to American Power in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Toboggan on January 30 at the Big A.

Pete's Play Call will exit the inside post under Jorge Vargas, Jr. on the slight turnback in distance.

Dubb will also be represented by Chateau for trainer Rob Atras. The 6-year-old Flat Out gelding has hit the board in 23 of 32 starts, including six wins with purse earnings of $367,769.

The dark bay used his good early foot last out to notch a gate-to-wire score in a six furlong optional-claiming sprint on January 18 at the Big A that garnered a lofty 96 Beyer.

Kendrick Carmouche retains the mount from post 3.

Rounding out the field is M and A Racing's graded stakes winner Happy Farm, who steps up from a 1 3/4-length score last out when in for a $50,000 tag on February 6 at the Big A for trainer Linda Rice.

The 7-year-old Ghostzapper gelding won the 2019 Grade 3 Fall Highweight and was second in the Tom Fool last year to multiple Grade 1-winner Mind Control. The dark bay made his seasonal debut with a troubled fifth in the Gravesend.

Eric Cancel will pilot Happy Farm from post 4.

The Tom Fool is slated as Race 7 on Saturday's 10-race card. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

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Hello Beautiful, Wendell Fong Score Winter Carnival Victories At Laurel

Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stables and Magic City Stables' Hello Beautiful picked up where she left off in 2020 while punching her ticket for a return to graded-stakes competition with a front-running victory in Saturday's $100,000 What a Summer at Laurel Park in Maryland.

The 35th running of the What a Summer for fillies and mares 4 and older and the 25th edition of the Fire Plug for 4-year-olds and up, both sprinting six furlongs, were among six stakes worth $550,000 in purses on a Winter Carnival program that opened Maryland's 2021 stakes calendar.

It was the fifth career stakes victory for Hello Beautiful ($2.40), third in a row and third of the day for jockey Sheldon Russell, following Gale in the $75,000 Geisha and Wendell Fong in the $100,000 Fire Plug. The winning time was 1:10.67 over a main track rated good.

Russell's wife, trainer Brittany Russell, and the connections are hoping to use the What a Summer as a stepping-stone to the $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3), contested at seven furlongs Feb. 13 at Laurel.

“To be fair, I think she's better going seven-eighths,” Sheldon Russell said. “So, she has options. She showed us last time I rode her that she can rate. Hopefully she can keep progressing and we can have some fun with her this year.”

Breaking from Post 3 in a field of eighth as the 1-5 favorite, Hello Beautiful was quickly on the lead and kept busy through a quarter-mile in 22.22 seconds and a half in 45.54 by 10-time winner Malibu Mischief, who moved within a half-length on the turn as their rivals lagged behind.

“It almost seems like in the races she runs in now there's always one or two [horses] that have a lot of speed, but me and Brittany sit down the night before every time she runs and people forget, our filly's fast, too,” Sheldon Russell said. “She's extremely fast out of the gate and coming into the race she was very fresh and she was doing well.”

Maryland-bred Hello Beautiful, by Golden Lad, opened up again with little urging from Russell to take a four-length advantage into the stretch and was never threatened while geared down as 10-1 long shot Club Car closed for second.

“I always ride her the same way. I bounce her out of there and if somebody wants to get crazy or get me outrun, I'll have to go to Plan B. But, she's free-rolling filly so I just jump out and leave her alone,” Russell said. “She gets comfortable in front and she's very easy to ride. A great job to Brittany and her team. I'm just very happy she won again for us.”

Club Car, fourth in the Willa On the Move Dec. 26 at Laurel, was 8 ½ lengths ahead of 23-1 long shot Bridlewood Cat in third. They were followed by Escapade, Malibu Mischief, Tarawa, New York Groove and Cause I'm Edgy.

Hello Beautiful improved to 7-0 lifetime at Laurel, including stakes wins at 2 in the Maryland Million Lassie and Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship, and 3 in the Maryland Million Distaff and Safely Kept, the latter two to cap her 2020 campaign.

Now 7-for-13 lifetime with earnings approaching $400,000, Hello Beautiful was sixth behind Frank's Rockette in her only previous graded-stakes attempt, the six-furlong Prioress (G2) last September at Saratoga.

The What a Summer honors the Eclipse Award-winning sprinter of 1977, bred in Maryland and a winner of 18 of 31 lifetime starts. Trained by the late Bud Delp and Leroy Jolley, both Hall of Famers, she won nine stakes including the Fall Highweight Handicap and Silver Spoon Handicap twice, and the Black-Eyed Susan.

Wendell Fong Gives Lynch First Winner in $100,000 Fire Plug
Gold Square's Wendell Fong came with a steady run on the far outside to run down Grade 3 winner Share the Ride approaching the wire and give trainer Natalia Lynch her first career victory in the $100,000 Fire Plug.

Wendell Fong ($15.80) ran six furlongs in 1:10.01 over a main track rated good to earn his second career stakes victory and second of the day for jockey Sheldon Russell following Gale in the $75,000 Geisha. Lynch had gone winless in her first 16 starts as a trainer dating back to last summer.

“It was me and my mom and my son watching it at home and we were screaming and crying. It was amazing,” Lynch said by phone. “I think it's been holding off until this horse. I really think it was. He just means more to me than the world. To have it with him, I'll never forget it.”

Lynch, 26 is a native of Maryland who began galloping horses while attending Walter Johnson High School in Montgomery County. She has a long association with Wendell Fong going back to when she was working as an assistant to trainer Jeremiah Englehart, overseeing his Laurel string. Lynch helped prepare the now 5-year-old son of Flat Out for his debut, which he won in the final month of 2018, as well as his lone prior stakes victory in the 2019 Gold Fever at Belmont Park.

After getting a class break in his last two starts, Wendell Fong returned to stakes company and rewarded Lynch's devotion and dedication. Lynch was winless with four seconds from 16 starters since going out on her own last summer; Wendell Fong was No. 17.

“I had spoken to Talie last night and she pretty much said to just sort of leave him alone, sort of don't send him and don't take him back,” Russell said. “He's a professional horse. Drawing from the inside I didn't really have any options but to stay quiet, and to be fair I actually clipped heels so he took a little stumble and I was probably a little further back than I wanted to be. What a cool horse to ride. He was ready today. Great job to Talie and her team. I'm very happy to get Talie her first win as a trainer.”

Breaking from the rail inside his six rivals, Wendell Fong clipped heels with 2020 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) winner Laki shortly out of the gate and trailed the field as Maryland Million Sprint winner Karan's Notion and multiple stakes winner Lebda alternated through fractions of 22.17 and 45.24 seconds. Wendell Fong began gaining ground on the turn and was set down once straightened for home, getting up by a neck in the final jump.

“It just felt like they were going really fast early on and he just got so comfortable down the backside. At about the three-eighths pole I was just showing him a little bit of daylight on the outside and he started picking them up,” Russell said. “At the top of the stretch he just jumped on the bridle and was really trying. He was well-prepared today. Great job to Talie and her team.”

Share the Ride was second, 2 ¼ lengths ahead of Lebda. It was another 2 ¼ lengths back to 2-1 favorite Laki in fourth, followed by Karan's Notion, Arthur's Hope and Penguin Power.

Wendell Fong had not won since the Gold Fever. With Lynch staying home, trainer Brittany Russell saddled the horse. Russell was one of several trainers Lynch worked for before going out on her own.

“It's really cool because I worked for Brittany and Sheldon and I wouldn't have wanted to do it with other people than them. It's just as rewarding that it was with them as well,” Lynch said. “Everyone kept calling me and telling me congratulations, but I'm more happy for him than myself. He really deserves it. It's good to see his confidence back. It's been a while.”

The Fire Plug is named for the popular gelding that won or placed in 49 of 54 lifetime starts, mostly sprinting, and registered 14 stakes victories including at least one every year from age 3 to 7. He retired in 1991 with 28 wins and $705,175 in purse earnings.

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Lynch Hoping There Is A Wendell Fong Laurel Park Stakes Win In Her Future

Still seeking her first career win as a trainer, Maryland's own Natalia Lynch couldn't imagine a better horse getting it done in a better place than Gold Square's Wendell Fong in Saturday's $100,000 Fire Plug at Laurel Park in Maryland.

Lynch, 26, has a long association with Wendell Fong going back to when she was working as an assistant to trainer Jeremiah Englehart, overseeing his Laurel string. Lynch helped prepare the now 5-year-old son of Flat Out for his debut, which he won in the final month of 2018, as well as his lone stakes victory in the 2019 Gold Fever at Belmont Park.

After getting a class break in his last two starts, Wendell Fong returns to stakes company looking to reward Lynch's devotion and dedication. Lynch is winless with four seconds from 16 starters since going out on her own last summer; Wendell Fong will be No. 17.

“He got sent to me before his first start and he just kind of became the barn favorite real quick. He's got a real cool personality. He's just one of those special horses,” Lynch said. “I don't think there could be a more fitting horse for me to get my first win.”

Lynch began galloping horses while at Walter Johnson High School in Montgomery County and continued while pursuing a nursing degree, first at Towson University and then at Shepherd University in West Virginia.

She worked for trainers Graham Motion at Fair Hill and Brendan Walsh in Florida, eventually hooking on as the top exercise rider and assistant for Englehart's Laurel string, overseeing 29 horses during the winter. The daughter of a horse dentist, she also worked for trainers Brittany Russell and Phil Schoenthal in Maryland and Jim Bond in New York.

“Just to see the horse win would be more amazing to me than anything else,” Lynch said. “For me it's cool because I came from Laurel and it's kind of like full circle to see my name back there as a trainer. It means a lot.

“I love it. I feel like it's always kind of what I've worked for,” she added. “I always put a lot of pressure on myself but when you see your name in the program it's about 10,000 times more pressure than before. But it's been really good and my support system has been awesome. There have been days where if I don't believe in myself, they believe in me. So it's helped.”

Wendell Fong ran in the Woody Stephens (G1), Amsterdam (G2) and Count Fleet (G3) while still with Englehart, finishing behind the likes of Hog Creek Hustle, Shancelot and Whitmore. He made one start for Robertino Diodoro before landing back with Lynch when she went out on her own.

After two off-the-board finishes, Wendell Fong rediscovered his form running second by 1 ½ lengths behind fellow stakes winner Taco Supream in a six-furlong optional claiming allowance Dec. 3 at Laurel, where he has a 2-1-0 record in four tries.

“We were all very, very happy with that. It was really good to see him come and get his confidence back and he came out of that race very well. He seems a little bit more like the old horse he used to be,” Lynch said.

“I think that's kind of what makes him special. I think he went under the radar for a little bit,” she added. “You look at the company he was running against. He was running against Mind Control and Whitmore and definitely never really hit an easy field. Even though he didn't win, he was still running great races.”

Sheldon Russell will ride Wendell Fong from Post 1 in a field of seven.

To achieve Lynch's breakthrough win, Wendell Fong will have to beat a solid collection of sprinters led by Hillside Equestrian Meadows' Laki, nose winner of the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course, his sixth career stakes win. Three of his others have come at Laurel, where he was second in the Frank Y. Whiteley and fourth in the Dave's Friend to cap 2020.

Silvino Ramirez's Share the Ride, last out winner of the six-furlong Fall Highweight (G3) Nov. 29 at Aqueduct. The 6-year-old gelding won the Mr. Prospector last summer at Monmouth Park, a race where Wendell Fong ran fourth, and was beaten a head when second to Majestic Dunhill in the Bold Ruler (G3) in October.

Penguin Power, a multiple stakes winner at Charles Town with 13 career victories who ran third by two lengths in the Dave's Friend; upset Maryland Million Sprint winner Karan's Notion; Lebda, winner of Laurel's Miracle Wood and Private Terms last winter; and New York-bred stakes winner Arthur's Hope complete the field.

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