New York-bred Whatchatalkinabout prevails in G3 John A. Nerud
Ice Wine Stable’s New York-bred Whatchatalkinabout was a determined winner when making his first start outside state-bred company in Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 John A. Nerud, a six-furlong sprint for older horses, at Belmont at the Big A.
Trained by Wesley Ward and ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., the 4-year-old gelded son of Dialed In returned with aplomb from a nearly four-month layoff dating to an impressive local optional claiming score on January 16 that garnered a lofty 106 Beyer Speed Figure. Never off the board in six prior outings, he adds to a win in the New York Breeders’ Futurity in October 2023 at Finger Lakes Racetrack.
Whatchatalkinabout was meant to have his first start off the layoff in the Grade 3 Commonwealth on April 8 at Keeneland, but was rerouted after he acted up in the gate in response to an unsettled Nutella Fella and was ultimately scratched at the gate.
Ward said he was content to give Whatchatalkinabout plenty of time between starts.
“He ran such a big number in his last race, I just wanted to give him a bunch of time. I’ve learned a lot over the 35 years – when I started, I had black hair and now it’s white, so I’ve learned what not to do,” Ward said, with a laugh. “It’s hard to be patient, especially when he ran a big one like that.”
Whatchatalkinabout was much quieter in the gate on Saturday, and emerged sharply from post 3 in the six-horse field and applied pressure to the outside of Silver Slugger, who marked the opening quarter-mile in 21.89 seconds over the fast main track with Surveillance tracking a close third a half-length back.
Ortiz, Jr. said a quieter experience in the starting gate helped his charge break alertly.
"He was good. I was supposed to ride him last time and we scratched at the gate,” Ortiz, Jr. explained. “He was much better at the gate. That helped, we broke so good, he put me right in the race, and after that I was closer than I thought, and I go from there.”
Down the backstretch, the post-time second choice Anarchist was pulled up by Hall of Famer Joel Rosario while the top three came to even terms entering the turn, stacked three-wide across the track before reaching the half-mile in 44.84. Silver Slugger dug in gamely along the inside with Surveillance bearing down on the outside, the two surrounding a fully-extended Whatchatalkinabout as the trio readied for a stretch-long showdown.
Silver Slugger refused to yield under recent Grade 1 Kentucky Derby-winner Junior Alvarado while Surveillance tried with every stride to stick his head in front as the triad battled through the final eighth, but it was the unrelenting Whatchatalkinabout who got the best of his foes just before the wire and posted the head victory in a final time of 1:09.03.
Surveillance was another neck back of Silver Slugger in third with Full Moon Madness running on to complete the superfecta and O’Conner Sunset rounding out the order of finish.
Per the New York Racing Association, Inc.’s (NYRA) Veterinary Department Director, Anarchist, who was transported from the course via equine ambulance, sustained an injury to his right foreleg and will attend Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists for surgery.
Ortiz, Jr. praised Whatchatalkinabout’s determination in the final sixteenth of the race that was previously contested in July at seven furlongs.
“He was game at the end. He felt the outside horse and fought,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “Then the inside horse came back, and he fights back and by the time we hit the wire he had his head in front. He was game, he was fighting.”
Ward said he was equally impressed.
“He’s a good horse, talented. He ran a gutsy race. I was proud of him,” Ward said. “That horse on the inside ran a big one and also the grey horse on the outside [Surveillance] – to be in the middle of those two and for him to gut through it really showed something.”
Alvarado was aboard the Juan Avila-trained Silver Slugger for the first time in the afternoon as the 5-year-old Cairo Prince gelding attempted to keep a three-race win streak afloat. Alvarado said his mount gave a winning effort.
“We were running all the way around. I had an inside post with the speed,” Alvarado said. “I had to use him, had Irad next to me the whole way. Both horses battled all the way to the wire. Nothing to take away from the winner. He ran a great race; we were probably second best today.
“He dug in there for me,” Alvarado added. “He never gave anything easy. He kept finding more, and more, and more. He was just a little unlucky in the end, but my horse tried very hard.”
Bred in the Empire State by Newtown Anner Stud, Whatchatalkinabout banked $96,250 in victory while improving his lifetime record to 7-4-2-1. He returned $4 on a $2 win ticket as the even-money mutuel favorite. Whatchatalkinabout was selected by Ward for $82,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale.
Live racing resumes Sunday at Belmont at the Big A with a nine-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern
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