**Please see the attached photo of Eddie Castro aboard Inherit the Gold winning the Grade 3 Excelsior at Aqueduct Racetrack. Credit NYRA**
Saturday, April 2, 2011
INHERIT THE GOLD CONTINUES UPWARD ASCENT IN EXCELSIOR
By Ashley Herriman
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Inner track dynamo Inherit the Gold reeled off a fifth consecutive win Saturday afternoon at Aqueduct Racetrack, brilliantly transferring his form to the main track to take the 99th running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Excelsior.
It was the first graded stakes victory for the 5-year-old son of Gold Token, who patiently stalked front-running Understatement through early fractions of 24.75 and 49.47. Easily overtaking the pacesetter as they turned for home, Inherit the Gold drew off to win by 6 ¼ lengths.
Sent off as the 7-5 favorite in the field of five, Inherit the Gold completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.34 returned $4.80 to his backers in the Caribbean Day crowd of 6,317.
"It was a perfect trip," said Jimmy Hooper, who earned his first graded stakes win as a trainer in the Excelsior. "Eddie [Castro] knew he might have to stay a little closer today and he did. It's whenever he decides he wants to make the move. Eddie's done a great job with him."
Castro piloted the New York-bred gelding to all four of his inner track victories this winter – two optional claimers, the Mr. International overnight stakes and the Kings Point – and has been Inherit the Gold's regular rider since October.
"There was only one horse with speed in the race, so I could stay fairly close," Castro said of the Excelsior. "I rode him the same today; I didn't want to change. When I asked him to move, he did. He's getting better. It was a tough race today. There were a lot of nice horses."
Now 7-3-2 from 14 career starts, 12 of them in state-bred company, Inherit the Gold earned $60,000 for today's victory, boosting his lifetime bankroll to $288,601.
Modern Cowboy completed the exacta, followed by Understatement, More Than a Reason and Goombada Guska.
"We just listen to what [the horse] tells us," said Hooper, who co-bred the gelding and trains him for wife Susanne and Glas-Tipp Stable. "He's a very, very smart horse, way smarter than we are. I'm just going to enjoy this one; who knows where we'll go next? I want him to be happy. As long as this horse is happy, we'll have a lot of fun."
-30-
