Chelsea Durand Photo

Front Run the Fed wins stakes debut in Better Talk Now

by Ryan Martin

Front Run the Fed handled the step up in class and the stretch out in distance coming from off the pace to win his stakes debut in the sixth running of the $100,000 Better Talk Now over the inner turf at Saratoga Race Course on Sunday.

Klaravich Stable's Front Run the Fed broke from the rail and was last of six into the first turn. Jockey Jose Lezcano angled his horse to the outside as three-time stakes winner Bulletin led through an opening quarter-mile of 23.74 seconds with the half in 46.94 seconds over the firm turf.

At the top of the stretch, Front Run the Fed made a five-wide move as Bulletin began to give way with graded stakes-placed Bourbon War moving just to his inside. The two battled it out in the final furlong, but Front Run the Fed got the better of Bourbon War, for the half-length score.

Front Run the Fed completed the one-mile journey in a final time of 1:34.29 besting Bourbon War by a half-length. It was another 2 1/4 lengths back to Bulletin, followed by Swamp Rat, Our Braintrust and Regally Irish. Performer and Achilles Warrior were scratched.

"He broke and I wanted to be a little more close, but the other horse took my spot leaving the first turn, so I had to go to Plan B and let him sit and come with a run," Lezcano said. "He went on and did everything [I asked]. I didn't have to hit him or anything. He galloped out of the quarter-pole to the wire."

Front Run the Fed, the 7-5 favorite, gave leading trainer Chad Brown his 12th stakes victory of the meet. It was the third stakes victory of the meet for Klaravich Stables.

"He's a real afternoon horse. He's an average training horse in the mornings, but when he's tacked up in the afternoons, he's all business," Brown said. "He had a bit of an eventful trip early. He was pinched back on the first turn and was further back than I would have liked. Jose had to go to Plan B and showed good judgment letting the horse settle down first. He composed himself and decided to make one run with him and it paid off. Jose really used judgment and deserves a lot of credit."

Front Run the Fed posted his third straight win, making his stakes debut off of a 13 1/4-length allowance win over the turf at Belmont Park in May. He broke his maiden at fourth asking over the inner dirt track at Aqueduct on April 14.

Brown mentioned the Grade 2, $400,000 Hill Prince on October 5 at Belmont Park as a possible next outing for Front Run the Fed.

"The Hill Prince makes sense, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to commit him to running a mile and an eighth yet," Brown said.

Returning $4.90 for a $2 win wager as the mutuel favorite, Front Run the Fed earned $55,000 from the victory enhancing his lifetime earnings to $160,700.

Bred in Kentucky by Colts Neck Stables, Front Run the Fed is by second crop sire Fed Biz out of the Posse broodmare Lawless Miss. He was purchased for $300,000 from the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2017.

The one-mile event for sophomores pays homage to the winner of five Grade 1s, including the 2004 Breeders' Cup Turf as well as two non-consecutive editions of the Sword Dancer. Trained by Graham Motion, Better Talk Now retired at age 10 with 14 wins in 51 career starts and over $4 million in earnings.

Live racing resumes on Wednesday with a 10-race card highlighted by the Grade 3, $150,000 With Anticipation. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.