Saturday, October 13, 2012
BOISTEROUS REPEATS IN KNICKERBOCKER; LA CLOCHE RINGS TRUE IN ATHENIA
By Jon Forbes
Seeking his fourth stakes win over the Belmont turf, Boisterous bided his time along the inside in fourth through an opening half-mile in 49.37 seconds, was shuffled back to sixth through three quarters in 1:13.98, tipped outside nearing the quarter pole, and readily kicked by his rivals when set down by jockey Jose Lezcano en route to a two-length score over See Tobe.
“He broke very good and I got the position I wanted. In the middle of the turn when everybody moved, I still had a hold,” said Lezcano. “I didn’t get shuffled back; I let them go. I didn’t want to move yet. When I swung out, he gave me the kick I expected him to give me. He finished very good.”
Boisterous, the even money favorite, paid $4.10 for a $2 win wager and completed 1 1/8 miles over “good” turf in 1:50.26.
Last year at
Now a 5-year-old, Boisterous won the Grade 3 Fort Marcy in May at Belmont in his second start of 2012 and entered this year’s renewal of the Knickerbocker off a third in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap in June at Belmont, a second in the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap in July, and a ninth in the Grade 1 Arlington Million on August 18.
“He runs good over this course. He’s been third in two Grade 1s here, and this is four races he’s won over this course,” said Buzz Tenney, assistant to winning Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. “[Jose Lezcano] got him in a good position early in the race, and I think that’s the key with him. I think he likes to get in position early, be patient, and find a hole to finish through.”
Boisterous is 8-1-2 in 20 total starts. The $90,000 winner’s share of the Knickerbocker purse lifted his earnings to $646,390.
Tune Me In was third, followed home by Stormy Lord, Bombaguia, Sky Blazer, and Barocci. Freud’s Honour was scratched.
In the Athenia, La Cloche picked up her second career stakes win and first in a graded event with a 1 ¼-length triumph.
Hailing from a top turf family, the Phillips Racing Partnership representative bided her time in sixth, patiently waited under Junior Alvarado to make her move, was taken outside nearing the run into the stretch, and rallied between horses to prevail over long shot Embarr.
“I just was waiting for my chance to move outside because she never runs one step on the inside,” said Alvarado. “That was pretty much what I was trying to work out first. She was able to swing outside by the quarter pole, and after that I won’t say it was really easy, but she took off. She really helped me and gave me a nice kick at the end.”
Off at 9-2, La Cloche paid $11 and completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.15.
La Cloche is by Ghostzapper and out of Memories of Silver, who won the 1996 Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup and the 1997 Grade 1 Beverly D. for the Phillips family and Toner. Memories of Silver is also the dam of Winter Memories, who took the 2011 Grade 1 Garden City and this year’s Grade 1 Diana for the same connections.
“John [Phillips] will be thrilled about [the graded stakes win],” said Toner. “That’s all we’ve heard, ‘Gotta get a graded stakes, gotta get a graded stakes, gotta get a graded stakes!’ Thank God, maybe she can get out of her sister’s shadow for a change. We’re really happy for her.”
La Cloche, a 5-year-old, won
Laughing was third, with favored
-30-
