NYRA/Adam Coglianese
By Sarah Mace
In the words of veteran pilot Aaron Gryder, Extinct Charm (American Lion) “out-gamed” his rivals in late stretch to win Saturday’s $100,000 Damon Runyon Stakes at Aqueduct, coming through in-between horses to get the victory by a neck as the first four finishers crossed the wire a half-length apart.
Extinct Charm, who is trained by Gary Contessa for a partnership of John Moirano, William Achenbaum, Month Foss and Steven Wecker, was the most seasoned in the five-horse field of the Damon Runyon, set to make his ninth career start.
The bay colt was also looking to put together back-to-back victories following a maiden-breaking effort in open company on December 3. He bested a large field by five lengths at the $70,000 claiming level going one mile in an off-the-turf event. His form had taken a significant upturn after he stretched out from sprints to routes following his fourth career start.
Exiting post one at 12-1, the longest shot on the board, to go one mile and 70 yards, Extinct Charm settled back in third at the fence behind 4-1 Gehrig and 2-5 favorite Spooked Out through a half mile in 49.74.
Angling out as he approached the head of the lane, Extinct Charm moved into second and began to make up ground on new leader Spooked Out, but was destined to have plenty of company in the charge for home.
NYRA Joe Labozzetta
A quartet of rivals stacked up across the track straining for the wire in the final sixteenth, all apparently in with a chance. Extinct Charm dug in gamely, came through between horses and bested the remaining trio who finished heads apart: E J’s Legacy, who rallied from last, Taoiseach, who rallied from fourth and Spooked Out. Pacesetter Gehrig finished well back in fifth. After a mile in 1:40.61, the final time for the 1 mile 70 yards was 1:44.73. [VIDEO]
Winning jockey Aaron Gryder said, “We were hoping there would be some speed, and there was. It set up nicely for him. I was able to save the ground, and get to the outside. It was a great horse race from the quarter pole home. He just out-gamed them.”
Trainer Gary Contessa focused on the stretch-out as key to Extinct Charm’s recent success. “He’s a two-turn horse, and that’s what it’s all about,” said Contessa. “He got two turns, and broke his maiden. We’ve just been waiting for this. He’s going to be a nice horse at the distance. He’s getting on a plane next week, and going to Ocala for the OBS Championship Stakes [January 26]. We’ve kept him eligible for that.”
Bred by Fountain Spring Stable and foaled at Silvernails Farm in Pine Plains, Extinct Charm is one of five winners, and the first stakes winner, out of Als Delight, a Pennsylvania-bred black type placed winner of over $113,000. With a record of two victories, two seconds a third from nine starts, he has earned $143,000. A $33,000 weanling purchase by Machmer Hall at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed sale, and RNA’d the following summer at the Fasig-Tipton Preferred New York-bred yearling sale, he was bought by Contessa for $55,000 at the OBS Spring sale.
