Joe Labozzetta Photo

Stallwalkin' Dude rallies to win Gravesend; Toni Tools upsets NYSS Fifth Avenue

by Brian Bohl and Najja Thompson

Stallwalkin' Dude gained the lead in the final furlong and outkicked Green Gratto by two lengths to win the 58th running of the $100,000 Gravesend for 3-year-olds and up on Sunday at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Owned by Head of Plains Partners and trainer David Jacobson, Stallwalkin' Dude stalked Green Gratto's fractions of 23.29 seconds for a quarter-mile and 47.27 for a half on the muddy and sealed inner dirt track. Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. rallied Stallwalkin' Dude from sixth out of the turn and moved to the rail near the five-eighths pole before overtaking Green Gratto and Life in Shambles, completing six furlongs in 1:11.80.

"We tried to bring him off the pace today because last time, I felt we had a lot of horse, he just looked around and played," Ortiz said. "Today he gave me everything he had at the end. He's always broke sharp. I don't panic or go crazy, because I know I have a horse who has speed. They go and I don't fight too much, I just stay off the pace. Turning for home, I waited and waited. When I asked, he responded."

The even-money favorite, Stallwalkin' Dude paid $4.10 on a $2 win bet and increased his career earnings to $1,188,352. The 6-year-old bay gelding is 3-2-1 in his last six starts, including a victory in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler on October 29 at Belmont Park.

"He broke very well, but heading into this race Irad and myself had some concerns with his last two races, we thought he had it won and he started hanging when he got to the lead," Jacobson said. "Today, we had plan. It was Irad's idea more in mind to wait as long as [he] can.

"When I saw him break that good, it instilled a little more confidence than before the race," he added. "He wants horses on the outside of him in case they're coming up. It makes him more competitive. He's getting a little trickier in his old age."

Green Gratto, for trainer Gaston Grant, held on for second.

All Star Red, Life in Shambles, Drama King, Summer Revolution, Loki's Vengeance and Spring to the Sky completed the order of finish.

In Race 4, Toni Tools rallied from last to capture the NYSS Fifth Avenue for state-bred juvenile fillies.

Over a muddy and sealed inner dirt track, Toni Tools broke from post 6 with Manny Franco aboard and trailed the field of six as 4-5 post time favorite Filibustin and 3-2 second-choice Catcher in the Sky battled up front to set keen fractions of 22.07 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.83 for the half.

Turning for home, the pair in front continued to battle, but at the sixteenth-pole Passporttovictory guided her way along the rail while a late-charging Toni Tools moved steadily from six-wide in the upper stretch and made her bid, closing fast to win in the final jumps by a half-length.

He completed the six furlongs in 1:14.43.

"I watched her replays and she always gives something at the end and the pace helped me a lot today," said Franco.

Returning $13.40 for a $2 win wager, the victory boosted her career earnings to $164,172 for owners St. Elias Stable, MeB Raicng Stables and Brooklyn Boyz Stables.

"She didn't have the speed to keep up with the others which we knew going into the race. We were just hoping the speed came back, which it did and she got up in time," said Byron Hughes, assistant to winning trainer Todd Pletcher. "It was a very dramatic win. She seemed to handle it [the muddy track] well today."

Following Passporttovictory in second was Filibustin, Catcher in the Sky, Gonna Be Morgan and Bliss to You.

With a 10-day holiday break beginning at the conclusion of Sunday's card, live racing will resume at Aqueduct on Thursday, December 29 and will feature a Pick 6 carryover of $30,987.20. First post is set for 12:20 p.m.