Sunday, September 12, 2010
UNCLE T SEVEN WINS ASHLEY T. COLE
By Ashley Herriman
ELMONT, N.Y. – Patiently ridden by Julien Leparoux, Uncle T Seven kicked clear in the stretch to win Sunday's 35th running of the $100,000 Ashley T. Cole for New York-breds at Belmont Park.
Settled in fifth behind pacesetter Spa City Fever, who was closely tracked by Writingonthewall through early fractions of 24.69 and 49.18, Uncle T Seven moved off the rail at the three-sixteenths pole and charged up to take the lead. Edging clear in the stretch, he crossed the wire 1 ½ lengths in front of Pocket Cowboys and favored Gimme Credit.
Uncle T Seven's final time for the 1 1/8 miles over the firm turf was 1:49.88.
"[Trainer John Kimmel] told me to make him relax through the first part, and he was pretty relaxed for me all the way around," said winning jockey Julien Leparoux. "He just traveled on the bridle a little bit, but it was pretty good. At the quarter pole, I was very confident. I knew he was going to give me a kick. It felt great. I knew he was going to run his race and that he was going to run big in the stretch. I didn't know if anyone was going to be better than him or not, but I guess today, nope."
The Ashley T. Cole was the Freud colt's first win in four starts this year. He entered the race off a fourth-place effort in the Vic Ziegel Memorial, a seven-furlong overnight stakes August 27 on the on the Saratoga main track, his first race since a second-place finish in the Kingston Stakes at Belmont on May 30.
"He was off for awhile and he really needed his last race," said Kimmel, who trains the horse for Thomas Mina, Suzann Bobley, MFRG Racing Stable and Dennis Brida. "It seemed to liven him up and he really sprung forward off that race and looked like his old self today."
With a lifetime record of 5-3-5 from 18 starts, Uncle T Seven now has earned $386,157 with the winner's share of the Ashley T. Cole purse. Sent off as the 5-2 third choice in the field of seven, he returned $7.10.
Longshot Piazza Di Spagna was fourth and Spa City Fever, Writingonthewall and Solvent completed the order of finish.
Looking ahead, Kimmel said he would consider two races on New York Showcase Day, October 23, for Uncle T Seven's next start – either the $100,000 Mohawk at 1 1/8 miles on the turf, or the $200,000 Empire Classic run at the same distance on the main track.
"We'd look at…the Empire Classic if we thought the turf was going to come up soft, which he doesn't like," said Kimmel. "He's a nice, versatile horse."
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