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By Sarah Mace
While his younger New York-bred brethren were busy keeping their dates with the auctioneer in Saratoga Springs on Sunday, Thermistor, a juvenile colt by New York-based sire Frost Giant (Sunrise Stallions at Keane Stud), was out in the Wild West — Aurora, Colorado to be exact — preserving a perfect two-for-two record. In the closing-day feature at Arapahoe Park, the flashy blaze-faced chestnut wired a field of 12 in the $100,000 Gold Rush Futurity.
Trained by J. R. Caldwell, who co-owns Thermistor with Mojo Racing Partners, the colt came into the race off a winning debut on July 15 at Lone Star Park, where he bested seven rivals by 3 3/4 lengths going five furlongs in 1:05.70. Thermistor posted his final work in preparation for the Gold Rush at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, where he fired a five-furlong bullet in :59 4/5.
As in his debut, Thermistor was quick out of the gate as the 5-2 favorite, using post two to his advantage to gain the lead and the rail. Following a hot quarter in 21.67, Thermistor was directly challenged by Iowa shipper Fortified Effect, who got on even terms in the two path.
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The pair raced virtually stride-for-stride from the quarter pole to the furlong marker. In the final sixteen Thermistor finally wrested back his lead and edged away to win by three-quarters of a length. After a testing half-mile in 44.57, the final time for six furlongs over the “wet fast” (sealed) track was 1:11.31.
“This colt is really quick away from the gate,” said jockey Danny Sorenson, who was riding in his first race at Arapahoe Park. “He broke sharp, and then he stays to his task. He doesn’t mind the pressure of horses, and he’s really talented.”
Mojo Racing Partners purchased Thermistor for the bargain price of $15,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September yearling sale. He has now earned $72,360 from his two wins.
Bred by Golden Goose Enterprises, LLC, Thermistor is out of Sinister Quill, a winner of both her juvenile starts and a multiple stakes placed runner in Canada who was purchased by Hidden Brook for $8,000 in 2013 at the Keeneland January sale. Thermistor is Sinister Quill’s second winner from two foals start. She foaled a filly by Big Brown on January 23, 2017.
