SV Photography
By Sarah Mace
Four-year-old gelding Breakin the Fever (Roaring Fever), bred, owned and trained by Debra Breed, collected his third career stakes victory on Monday when he won the $50,000 George W. Barker, a six-furlong sprint for New York-breds and the first of 13 races on the Finger Lakes stakes calendar.
With lots of speed lined up to his outside in the eight-horse field, front-running Breakin the Fever, who drew the one-hole, had his work cut out for him, but in the end proved too tough a customer for his rivals.
Out of the gate well under Nazario Alvarado, Breakin the Fever dueled for the first half mile with Baime, who crossed over from post eight, keeping a head in front through opening fractions of 21.81 and 44.31. Crackerjack Jones also attended the duel, tracking intently from close range.
After putting away Baime in the stretch, the 6-5 favorite dug deep to fend off a final challenge from 2-1 second choice Crackerjack Jones and prevailed by three-quarters of a length in a tour de force performance. Baime finished another 1 1/2 lengths back in third. The final time for the race was 1:10.81. [VIDEO]
Now a perfect two-for-two in 2016 and the winner of 11 of 19 career starts, Breakin the Fever has earned $309,441. Last year, in the course of winning eight races at the Farmington oval, the gelding scored victories in the Ontario County Stakes and Leon Reed Memorial Stakes
Breakin the Fever is one of three winners from three foals to start out of Breakers West, a winning daughter of Rodeo owned and bred in New York by Francis Casey and trained by Debra Breed.
