West Hills Giant #2, rail (Adam Coglianese)
Following the stewards’ disqualification of Orino, first across the line but causing runner-up West Hills Giant to make contact with the rail in late stretch, West Hills Giant (Frost Giant) was promoted to first in $100,000 Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Stakes series (NYSS). The Cab Calloway for 3-year-olds sired by eligible New York stallions was run at one mile on the Saratoga inner turf course.
Owned jointly by Robert Castelli’s Long Island Racing Stables, Andrew Cohen’s Sunrise Stables and Gina Bentivegna, the versatile West Hills Giant came into the Cab Calloway just 18 days after a third-place finish in the slop in the New York Derby at Finger Lakes. Having recorded victories in the past on dirt and turf, and in both sprints and routes, the chestnut colt was bet down to 3-5 favoritism in the field of seven under jockey Edgar Prado, also his pilot in a convincing victory in the NYSS Spectacular Bid at Belmont on June 30.
Orino (Raffie’s Majesty) got out of the gate smartly from post three and led the field around the clubhouse turn while West Hills Giant tracked at the rail in second, then third, after Captain Gaughen (Disco Rico) moved up on his outside.
Debra Roma
A length and a half behind the leader along the backstretch and around the far turn, West Hills Giant again moved up into second, but was in tight at the rail from the top of the lane. When West Hills Giant drew even with Orino in the final furlong, Orino drifted in slightly under a right-handed whip, causing West Hills Giant to brush the rail, before drawing off to cross the wire first by 1 1/4 lengths. West Hills Giant finished a nose in front of Captain Gaughen in third.
Jockey Edgar Prado said, “My horse tried to get through the inside. He was gaining slowly. If that contact didn’t happen, we would have won the race. He broke running out of the gate. He sat behind the leaders nice and easy. He was very comfortable. When the rail opened up, I tried to get my horse through and he went on. Unfortunately, the other horse came in and slowed him down a little bit.”
Trainer John Terranova said, “It looked tight on the pan, but as soon as you saw the head-on, he did bounce off the rail so I thought we’d have a good shot to put him up. It was pretty tight for him down there, it look like he broke stride there deep stretch when [Orino] bumped him a little bit.
Debra Roma
Terranova added, “He doesn’t care for the inside on top of that; he’s always tried to make that wide move. He’s reluctant down in there. I was afraid that might happen today, too, but I didn’t see a spot where he could have gotten out. He’s a big horse and he can get a little intimidated down in there. We’re lucky today.”
Following a half-mile in 48.47, the final time for the mile over the firm going was 1:36.18.
West Hills Giant, now 4-1-2 from 11 career starts with $421,149 in earnings, won the New York Breeders’ Futurity at Finger Lakes last September going six furlongs on the heels of a maiden victory going long on turf at Saratoga in his second start. Debuting this year with a show finish in the open Java Gold, West Hills Giant was an impressive runner-up to Vyjack in the 1 1/16-mile Gotham after setting the pace. His victory in the Cab Calloway brings his stakes tally to three.
Terranova does not have any specific plans for West Hills Giant’s next start. “He’s a tough, tough horse. He’s one of those throwback old school horses. He comes back good every time. He’s really sound. Hopefully he stays that way. We’ll space him out now, give him a nice little break until the fall.”
Bred by Robert Castelli, West Hills Giant is the first foal out of Outtawesthills, a New York-bred turf winner also bred by Castelli and trained by Terranova ($39,992). Outtawesthills currently has a 2-year-old filly by Big Brown named Outtacypresshills, who has not started, and a yearling full brother to West Hills Giant.
West Hills Giant’s sire Frost Giant (Keane Stud) set a new record for New York first crop progeny earnings in 2012 and currently leads New York second crop sires. It was announced recently that his 4-year-old full-brother Heavy Breathing will join him at stud in the state next year when he stands the 2014 breeding season at Dutchess Views Farm in Pine Plains.
