Forgive holds on for gritty win in Churchill’s Mighty Beau Overnight Stakes

By Sarah Mace

Patricia’s Hope LLC’s Forgive (Sidney’s Candy) dug down deep under jockey Joe Rocco to hold off a pair of determined challengers and secure a nose-win while making his stakes debut in Saturday’s $65,000-added Mighty Beau Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Largely ignored in race previews, and relatively dismissed as the sixth choice of eight at odds of 8-1 for the five-furlong turf tilt, Forgive bounced alertly out of post two and laid down his claim to the lead.

Racing virtually stride-for-stride with Platinum Prince (6-1) through splits of 22.37 and 44.83, Forgive sustained a stretch-long drive to wire. Holding his advantage over Platinum Prince and beginning to inch away toward the finish line, he then refused to be passed by fresh challenger Partly Mocha who was rallying strongly from off the pace. The trio hit the line in a blanket finish.

Forgive won the photo, keeping a nose in front of Partly Mocha, while Platinum Prince finished a head back in third. The final time for the five furlongs over firm grass was 56.31. Latent Revenge, sent to post as the 2-1 favorite after winning the race a year ago, bobbled at the start and finished last.

“When Latent Revenge didn’t break well, that changed the whole landscape of the race,” said jockey Joe Rocco. “Forgive is a very game horse. [Trainer] Mike [Tomlinson] told me in the paddock how well this horse has been training in the morning and he really showed it this afternoon.”

Tomlinson, who also trains Platinum Prince, said, “I’m so proud of both of my horses. Platinum Prince has been off for such a long time so he just ran out of gas at the end. Forgive is such a game horse. I’m so happy for the owners with Patricia’s Hope (Vince Foglia).”

Continued Tomlinson, “When we bought this horse we took our time with him and he’s really improving. We were a bit nervous it was too quick to bring him back from his last start [on May 19], but he was doing so well training that we gave it a shot.”

With this victory in his stakes debut, Forgive improved his record to four wins, a second and two thirds from eight starts and increased his earnings to $125,156.

The 4-year-old gelding was bred by WinStar Farm LLC and foaled at Vinery NY at Sugar Maple in Poughquag. Forgive first sold to Xavier Racing and Hidden Brook Farm at the 2015 OBS March sale for $145,000. After finishing third in his debut for these connections (plus WinStar) in November 2015, the gelding was purchased by Foglia’s Patricia’s Hope at the Keeneland November sale for $110,000.

Forgive broke his maiden in in September 2016 in his third start, and in five races since then has thrown in only one clunker. The Mighty Beau was his third straight win.

Forgive’s dam is Three Graces, a Kentucky-bred stakes winner at a mile on turf at Canterbury Park in 2008. She has produced two winners from two foals to start led by her first foal Euphrosyne (Harlan’s Holiday), a graded winner. Forgive has a juvenile filly by Pioneer of the Nile, a yearling colt by Into Mischief and was barren in 2017.

 

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2017/06/03/forgive-holds-on-for-gritty-win-in-churchills-mighty-beau-overnight-stakes/

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