NYRA/Chelsea Durand
By Sarah Mace
Francis Paolangeli’s homebred Gold for the King by Posse, third in the slop in the 1-mile Sleepy Hollow Stakes at Belmont on October 22, returned to winning form Saturday at Aqueduct as the 8-5 favorite when he got back on a fast track, cut back to six furlongs and donned blinkers for the $100,000 Notebook for New York-bred 2-year-olds.
Lined up toward the outside of the 7-horse field in post six, Gold for the King was the fastest out of the blocks, but deferred to Sal the Turtle, a game 22-1 longshot, and 9-1 Tribecca, who hooked up with one another to his inside. Instead, he sat a stalking trip in the early stages, a half-length back in third and well off the rail.
Gold for the King moved up into second when Tribecca tailed off after an opening quarter in 22.46, and, catching up with Sal the Turtle, got on even terms with the leader at the top of the lane.
The pair raced stride-for-stride in upper stretch, but inside the final furlong, Gold for the King began to edge away from his grudging rival, eventually opening up in the final sixteenth to a 1 1/4-length victory. After a half-mile in 45.73, Gold for the King stopped the timer at 1:10.70.
Bourbon Empire closed from last to finish third, followed by Eddie’s Gift, Fled, Hamptons Holiday, Caught a Heater and Tribecca. Breeze Burner, La Cat Warrior, Macho Miah Mr. Buff and Three to Thirteen were scratched. [VIDEO]
NYRA/Joe Labozzetta
Winning trainer Charlton Baker said, “[Gold for the King] broke good, Jose had to use him a little to get involved early as he sat back, but it was a great setup.”
Baker feels, however, that his charge is still a work in progress. “I thought he still kind of played around with [Sal the Turtle] in the stretch, but he’s still a young horse. He’s going to learn as he goes along. I think the blinkers made a difference. Not a big difference but just enough. We used a small cup, maybe we’ll make more of adjustment going forward.”
Victorious jockey Jose Ortiz thought the blinkers were just the right prescription. “Charlie [Baker] did a great job adding the blinkers to cut him back to six [furlongs] today. He [Gold for the King] really liked them. They weren’t too closed, just like cheaters.”
Ortiz also explained his decision to race off the fence. “Last time I rode him, he wasn’t comfortable behind horses so I didn’t want to end up behind horses today. He broke sharp and running, so I got him in the clear, which is what I wanted.”
Continued Ortiz, “He put me in a great position the whole way. The whole time, I was waiting, waiting and I knew when I turned for home, that I had to beat the horse on the inside of me so I tried to keep with him. My horse ran a really good race.”
Never out of the money in five starts, Gold for the King broke his maiden by 3 1/4 lengths at first asking at Saratoga. After finishing third to Syndergaard in his stakes debut in the Funny Cide later in the meet, he returned to the races five weeks later to capture Finger Lakes’ New York Breeders’ Futurity by 2 3/4 lengths. His bankroll stands at $280,568.
Foaled at Keane Stud in Amenia, Gold for the King is the second foal and first winner out of Gold for the Queen, a New York-bred multiple stakes winner bred by Pegasus Farms Inc., campaigned by Paolangeli and trained by Baker. Gold for the Queen currently has a weanling colt by Frost Giant named True Gold, and was bred this spring to Japan.
