NYRA photo Photo

Feel Glorious arrives in time in $100K Forever Together

by Keith McCalmont

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Tango Uniform Racing’s Feel Glorious prevailed under a furious five-wide bid to capture Friday’s $100,000 Forever Together, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Christophe Clement and piloted by Junior Alvarado, who combined to capture the Gio Ponti with City Man [co-owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing] earlier on the card, Feel Glorious kept a perfect record at the Big A intact following scores last year in the Memories of Silver and Winter Memories.

Chaleur was hustled to the lead with longshot Platinum Paynter to her outside in second as Simplicity, also conditioned by Clement, tracked along the rail in third as the opening quarter-mile was clocked in 25 seconds flat and the half in 51.54 on the turf course rated good.

Feel Glorious, who clipped heels just after the break, was asked to engage from seventh position as Chaleur led a spread-out field into the final turn with Platinum Paynter pressing and Tapit Today rallying into contention outside with Myhartblongstodady following her run.

As the field turned for home, Alvarado angled a headstrong Feel Glorious outside of Myhartblongstodady while No Mo Lady dived inside in search of racing room. Miss Teheran also came alive late in the lane only to be stymied behind rivals, as the clear-running Feel Glorious kicked strongest of all to power home a three-quarter-length winner in a final time of 1:45.77.

Tapit Today won a four-horse photo to complete the exacta by a nose over Myhartblongstodady, who was a head clear of Platinum Paynter in fourth.

Rounding out the order of finish were Miss Teheran, Chaleur, No Mo Lady, Sorrentina Lemon, Simplicity and Story Time. Madita, I’llhandalthecash and main-track only entrant Overheated were scratched.

The victory marked the fourth stakes score for Feel Glorious, who also captured the Perfect Sting in August at Saratoga.

“She’s been very honest,” said Clement, who leads all trainers at the Big A fall meet with 13 wins. “Whenever she switches leads, she shows a turn-of-foot. She’s a fun filly. We’ve been very patient with her. She has a very good turn-of-foot and she had a great ride with Junior all the way. She’s so honest and she keeps trying. It was a thrilling finish.”

Alvarado was full of praise for his determined filly.

“She broke good out of there and then 20 yards after the break I clipped heels with [No Mo Lady], then it took her a little while to get her back on the bridle,” said Alvarado. “On the backside, I knew they were going slow so I started trying to get my spot so I wasn’t too far back turning for home. Everyone started moving at the same time and by the five-sixteenths, I wasn’t where I wanted to be, but I had the horse today.

“I had the best filly,” he continued. “Turning for home, I put her in the clear to the outside and when she switched leads, she started picking it up. She was just the best today.”

Bred in Great Britain by Mrs. E. C. Roberts, the 4-year-old Bated Breath bay banked $55,000 in victory while improving her record to 19-6-3-3. She returned $9.80 for a $2 win bet.

Live racing resumes Saturday at the Big A with a 10-race card featuring four $100,000 stakes, including the Grade 3 Discovery at nine furlongs for 3-year-olds; the Grade 3 Long Island at 11 furlongs on the inner turf for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up; the Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship at six furlongs for 3-year-olds and up; and the Central Park for juveniles at 1 1/16-miles on the turf. First post is 11:50 a.m.