NYRA/Chelsea Durand
After knocking on the door against graded rivals ever since his third-place finish in the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth last summer, Hangover Kid earned his first full-blown graded victory when won a tight photo in the Grade 2, $200,000 Bowling Green for older horses. Run at 1 1/2 miles on the Widener Turf Course, the Bowling Green was the final graded stakes of the Belmont spring/summer meeting,
A 6-year-old horse by Lemon Drop Kid and homebred for Steve Taglienti’s Four Tags Stable, Hangover Kid was last seen finishing second in the Grade 2 Monmouth with big closing move. For the Bowling Green he was reunited after nearly two years with jockey Jose Lezcano, who rode him seven times before, including for his maiden-breaker in 2011. Although he was stretching out from nine furlongs to a mile and a half, he had previously recorded a victory at 1 3/8 miles, and, because he is a strong closer, the extra furlong seemed well within his scope.
Third choice in the six-horse field at 9-2, Hangover Kid was content to save ground from his inside post, tracking the pace in third as the race unfolded. Meanwhile, 18-1 longshot Horvat Clan enjoyed an uncontested lead, clocking comfortable fractions of 25.63, 51.93, 1:17.53 and 1:42.03 for a mile.
Caught behind a wall of horses in upper stretch, Hangover Kid found a seam just inside the eighth pole and scooted into second behind the new leader and 3-5 favorite Grandeur, who had rallied three wide.
Hangover Kid and Grandeur battled head to head to the wire, with Hangover Kid just getting the nod. It was another 3/4 lengths back to Sky Blazer, who rallied into third while Boisterous, Reflecting, and Horvat Clan completed out the order of finish. The final for 12 furlongs was 2:28.18. [VIDEO]
Lezcano said, “I know the pace was slow, and [Servis] told me to keep him right there. When I asked him, he gave me a very good kick. I prayed it would open up for me, and when [John Velazquez aboard No. 3 Boisterous] went out a little bit, my horse took off.”
Jason Servis reported by telephone, “It was thrilling; I wish I could have been there. I felt really good having Lezcano on him; he’s been riding unbelievable. The only thing I told him is ride him like you own him.”
Servis also has big plans for Hangover Kid for later on in the year. “We’d like to go to the Breeders’ Cup with him,” Servis said. “This race – being a graded stakes – got him points. I don’t know where he’ll go next, but the Breeders’ Cup is the ultimate goal.”
Winner of the West Point Stakes for New York-breds last summer in Saratoga, Hangover Kid last year secured two graded stakes placings at long odds. He came from last in a field of 12 to finish second in Aqueduct’s Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap at odds of 23-1, and mounted a strong late rally to finish third in Monmouth’s Grade 1 United Nations Stakes at odds of 47-1 in a field of eight. His runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Monmouth Stakes last month came at odds of 19-1.
Hangover Kid, whose record now stands at 7-7-3 from 24 starts with $625,203 in earnings, is the most successful of four winners out of Absolute Patience, an unraced Maryland-bred daughter of Rakeen. Absolute Patience currently has a 2-year-old filly by Munnings named Hold the Nutmeg and a yearling colt by Looking at Lucky named Revive and Resurge, both registered New York-breds. Revive and Resurge is catalogued for the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale in Saratoga this summer (Hip 218). Although she did not produce a foal this year, according to Bruce Grossman, who manages Four Tags Stable, Absolute Patience was bred back to Lemon Drop Kid in 2014.
