Chelsea Durand Photo

Good Lord Lorrie returns in style in $125K Woodhaven

by Mary Eddy

Harrell Ventures’ Good Lord Lorrie returned victoriously from an eight-month respite in Saturday’s $125,000 Woodhaven, a one-mile inner turf test for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by George Weaver and expertly piloted by Flavien Prat, the Hard Spun chestnut remained perfect through two outings and added to a debut one-length score sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs over the Saratoga Race Course lawn in August.

"He's always been a naturally talented horse,” said Blair Golen, Weaver’s Belmont Park assistant. “We were always high on him from the first time he breezed, and George was very high on him up there [at Saratoga] and the way he won first time out, you just knew he was very talented and promising. I'm not surprised that he won. He got such a great ride and a great trip. Luckily, he stayed out of trouble."

Good Lord Lorrie emerged cleanly from post 4 in the seven-horse field as Ridgewood Runner showed speed past the wire for the first time before being challenged by the sharp-starting Works for Me to his outside. The pair quickly drew 3 1/2-lengths clear of the field in a sizzling pace duel through the first quarter-mile over the firm footing.

Good Lord Lorrie tracked along the rail to the inside in third just ahead of The Big Torpedo down the backstretch as Ridgewood Runner conceded to Works for Me, who took a one-length advantage to mark the half-mile in 46.28 seconds. Approaching the turn, The Big Torpedo was given his cue by Eric Cancel and swept along the outside to challenge for the lead as a patient Prat held Good Lord Lorrie in a rail-skimming position behind the fading Ridgewood Runner.

Post-time favorite Carson’s Run attempted to make a bid from the rear of the field, but bore out sharply in the turn and carried out Elysian Meadows several paths while the advancing Walley World was able to maintain his rallying position outside of Good Lord Lorrie. Prat made a decisive move to maneuver his charge three-wide around the top pair of Works for Me and The Big Torpedo at the top of the lane while Walley World gave strong chase down the center of the course through three-quarters in 1:11.35.

A game Works for Me battled on bravely but was overtaken by The Big Torpedo in the final sixteenth with Good Lord Lorrie bearing down to his outside. Good Lord Lorrie proved too much for his rival and inched clear to score by a half-length in a final time of 1:34.85. It was a further 1 1/4 lengths back to Walley World in third with the troubled Carson’s Run crossing the wire fourth and a half-length in front of Elysian Meadows.

A stewards’ inquiry into the incident in the turn involving Carson’s Run and Elysian Meadows determined that Elysian Meadows did recover and continued a strong run satisfying the stewards that the incident may have caused him the opportunity at a better placing. As a result, Carson’s Run was disqualified from fourth and placed fifth behind Elysian Meadows.

Works for Me and Ridgewood Runner completed the order of finish.

Prat praised the professionalism from Good Lord Lorrie in just the second outing of his career.

“We got into a good spot going into the first turn and he relaxed well down the backside,” said Prat. “I was able to save ground pretty much all the way around and he showed some heart at the end. He was very brave and it was a good run.”

Cancel, aboard the Tom Morley-trained The Big Torpedo, said the dirt stakes-placed New York-bred’s effort is a preview of what is to come after making his second start on turf.

“To be honest, I had a wonderful trip. It was just unfortunate,” said Cancel. “The horse that beat me just ran a tick harder in the last few yards. He got me right there at the wire. I’m very happy with the performance that my horse just had, and I am looking forward to the future.”

Bred in Kentucky by G. Watts Humphrey, Jr., Good Lord Lorrie was a $90,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Smart Strike mare Spinning Wheel, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-placed Ride on Curlin and stakes-winner Space Mountain. He banked $68,750 in victory while returning $7 on a $2 win ticket.

The Christophe Clement-trained Carson’s Run, who won the Grade 1 Summer in September at Woodbine, was making his first start since an off-the-board finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in November at Santa Anita Park. Regular pilot Dylan Davis said the son of Cupid was spooked by something in the final turn.

"He was getting out a little bit into the first turn, but I was able to settle him and cover him up,” Davis said. “I had a great spot and he was traveling great. Going into that second turn he was on it nice and all of a sudden, I had no control - he must have saw something and he just bolted right out of there. It cost him the whole race. I just tried to hang on to him.”

Live racing resumes Sunday at Aqueduct Racetrack with a nine-race card on Closing Day of the Aqueduct spring meet, featuring the Listed $150,000 Memories of Silver in Race 6. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the spring meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the spring meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.