Warheart unchallenged in $135K Atlantic Beach
DARRS, Inc.’s Warheart made the early lead and was a no doubt about it winner in Friday’s $135,000 Atlantic Beach, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for juveniles, at Belmont at the Big A.
Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, the Omaha Beach gelding’s facile first stakes victory was a redemptive one, after a last-out seventh in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Bourbon on October 6 at Keeneland - which was a “Win and You’re In” event for today’s Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar. He had previously won by a head to graduate at second asking when traveling seven furlongs on September 7 at Kentucky Downs.
David Ross of DARRS Inc., was present in the winner’s circle and provided his thoughts on the win as trainer Rudy Brisset gears up for Saturday’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint with Mullikin.
“Julien did the right thing – he let the horse do what he needed to do. We wanted a good break. We thought we’d be three or four [lengths] back in that first quarter, but he was sharp and he rated nicely. He’s a very honest horse,” said Ross. “He was very professional in the paddock, and I can’t say enough about the job that Rudy has done with him.”
Warheart broke sharply from the outermost post 8 under Eclipse Award-winning jockey Julien Leparoux and quickly went to the front. Leparoux slowed the tempo up front as Super Swift improved position along the rail and Colonel Bob tracked to the outside through an opening quarter-mile in 22.33 seconds on the firm turf.
Heading into the turn, Warheart maintained his advantage with Colonel Bob tracking in second position and Dumb Money angling to the outside in search of clear air. After a half-mile in 45.17, Warheart was back alone in front and Leparoux was still sitting chilly.
With an eighth of a mile remaining, Leparoux let Warheart out a notch and he surged home to a four-length victory over Super Swift in a final time of 1:08.71.
“Rodolphe told me he was very fast from the gate. We had the outside post, and I didn’t really need to be on the lead, but he broke so sharp he put me there. He relaxed beautiful and finished up very strong – 1:08 and change is big time,” Leparoux said of the performance.
Dumb Money closed for third, with Shoot the Nickel rounding out the superfecta. Colonel Bob, Ghostly Rose, Joey Muscles, and the slow-starting favorite Epitaph completed the order of finish.
Main track only-entrant Executive Order was scratched.
Leparoux, who is closing in on 3,000 career wins, added that it was an encouraging first stakes score for Warheart.
“He was doing it very comfortable, and I was traveling nice the whole time – that’s the main thing in these kinds of races,” said the rider.
Bred in Kentucky by September Farm, Warheart, out of the stakes-placed Colonel John mare Inside Out, was a $90,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He banked $74,250 in victory while improving his record to 4-2-1-0 and returning $8.20 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes Saturday at Belmont at the Big A with a stacked 11-race card, which features the Listed $150,000 Nashua [Race 2], the Listed $150,000 Artie Schiller [Race 4], the $135,000 Stewart Manor [Race 8] and the Listed $150,000 Tempted [Race 10]. First post Saturday is 11:20 a.m. Eastern.
The Big A will be open to the public from 10:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Saturday so racing fans can watch and wager on the simulcast of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships from Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California. Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup program is headlined by the Grade 1, $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.
America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.
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