Crossed Sabres Farm’s Preachintothedevil threw his hat in the ring for the $98,000 Whirlaway Stakes on Saturday – the second two-turn stakes of the year at Aqueduct for three-year-olds with possible Derby aspirations – and, despite looking slightly uncomfortable on the deteriorating racing surface, put in a good effort, staying close to the pace early and hanging on for third at the finish.
Preachintothedevil, a son of Pulpit trained by Gary Contessa, earned his berth for the 32nd renewal of the Whirlaway after winning the 1 mile and 70-yard restricted Champagneforashley Stakes on New Year’s Day by an impressive 3 ¼ lengths in his third career start. He had followed his 7 ¼-length off-the-turf debut victory in November with a game four-wide show-finish in the Damon Runyon on December 5. The Whirlaway was to be something of test, to see if the colt would continue his forward progress in his fourth start while meeting open company for the first time. In Contessa’s words before the race, “We’re trying to figure out where we are with this horse.”
As the only stakes winner in the field of five (after the scratch of New York-bred Sky Music, winner of the Restoration Stakes for state-breds in November), Preachintothedevil went to the gate as third choice in the wagering at odds of 3.90-to-1, behind favorite J J’s Lucky Train (Silver Train) – runner-up in the Count Fleet Stakes at Aqueduct on January 1 – and Rescind the Trade (Put it Back), undefeated in two starts. Fourth choice was Toby’s Corner (Bellamy Road), making his stakes and two-turn debut and trying the New York circuit for the first time after winning his two most recent starts at Laurel Park by a combined 12 lengths. Junior Alvarado, aboard for each of Preachintothedevil’s starts, retained the mount for the Whirlaway and, after Norman Asbjornson came out as a gate scratch, the pair moved to the inside one position to occupy post four in the five-horse field.
After the break, Preachintothedevil broke well and established himself in a good position early, racing at the rail through the first turn and ceding the lead to J J’s Lucky Train. He kept to that spot until Alvarado took a strong hold on the backstretch run, allowing Rescind the Trade to pass to his outside.
Preachintothedevil kept to the inside through the far turn, while early trailer Toby’s Corner began a strong sweeping move, circling the field. The stretch run turned into a duel between Toby’s Corner and favorite J J’s Lucky Train, with Toby’s Corner prevailing and opening up two lengths by the wire. In the final stages Preachintothedevil moved out toward the center of the racetrack and kept on willingly, holding third and finishing 3 ¾ lengths behind the runner-up and two lengths ahead of pursuers. The final time for the 1 1/16 miles run in the rain over the muddy (sealed) track was 1:45.66, with a swift final sixteenth in 6.35. Preachintothedevil has now has two wins and two show finishes from four career starts. His portion of the Whirlaway purse brings his earnings to $82,020.
Bred by Jeffrey Tucker, Preachintothedevil is the first foal – and only foal of racing age – from his New York-bred Champion and Grade 1 winner Acey Deucey. Preachintothedevil went twice through the sales ring as a Fasig-Tipton selected yearling in 2009, selling in New York for $75,000 to John P. Pucek and in Timonium in October to Wes Carter (agent) for $65,000.
His dam Acey Deucey, a bargain $35,000 acquisition from the 2004 OBS Spring sale of two-year-olds, is a daughter of Abaginone bred by Glen Grey Farm. Campaigned by Tucker, Acey Deucey won the 2005 editions of the Grade 1 Prioress and Grade 2 Comely Stakes, and that year was voted Champion New York Three-Year-Old Female and Champion New York Female Sprinter. Barren after being bred to Unbridled’s Song in 2007 (and having a stillborn foal when bred back to the same stallion in 2009), the $364,146-earner produced Preachintothedevil by Pulpit in 2008. Acey Deucey has an unnamed two-year-old New York-bred colt by Bernardini that sold as a 2010 Keeneland September Yearling to Hoby and Layna Kight for $125,000, and was bred back to Unbridled’s Song in 2010.
