Laurel photo
By Sarah Mace
Oak Bluff Stables homebred Therapist (a colt by Freud, as his name implies) provided some pre-race drama for Saturday’s $100,000 Laurel Futurity by breaking through the starting gate sans rider, and balking while being reloaded before finally getting on his way, but that didn’t compare to his stirring late-race theatrics.
In the final strides, Therapist, who had raced near the rear of the field for the first half-mile, powered past his four remaining rivals to win Saturday’s six-furlong turf dash for 2-year-olds by a head.
In the Futurity, Therapist was making just his second career start for trainer Christophe Clement. For his debut, the chestnut colt shipped from his Saratoga base on July 2 to go the same trip at Belmont Park. There, Therapist rallied to victory over nine New York-bred maiden special weight rivals, winning by 1 3/4 lengths going away. His three most recent timed workouts, including a tempered four furlongs around the dogs on turf, were posted at the Spa.
Bet down to 5-2 second choice and ridden by a patient Daniel Centeno, Therapist was unfazed when he got squeezed back after the start, content to cruise along nine lengths from the front with only one horse beaten, as Nauti Boy led the way through an opening quarter-mile in 22.95.
Saving ground through the far turn and gaining a couple of spots late in the bend as the half went in 45.81, Therapist angled out with an agile move in upper stretch and passed two more horses. In the final stages of his rally, under a vigorous drive midtrack, the colt collared the four remaining rivals in the closing strides to secure the head victory.
“I got lucky he didn’t get hurt in the gate, said Centeno. “It was only his second start and he got nervous. He broke a little slow and I put him on the rail and I saved all the ground. I was watching the favorite and turning for home, I put him into gear and he responded. He galloped out strong. He ran big after breaking through the gate.”
Stroll Smokin, a 20-1 longshot, who raced up on the pace from the start, held for second, while 4-5 favorite Majestic Dunhill had to settle for third. The final time for the six furlongs was 1:09.50. [VIDEO REPLAY]
Therapist, who has run Lasix-free in both career starts and earned $97,200 from two victories, was foaled at Berkshire Stud in Pine Plains. He is the one of two winners and the first stakes winner out of Lady Renaissance, a winning Kentucky-bred daughter of Sharp Strike.
Owner/breeder Oak Bluff Stables bought Lady Renaissance for $15,000 at the 2009 Keeneland November sale. Her first winner is Gio’s Lady (Gio Ponti), a sophomore who has won twice in California. Lady Renaissance has a weanling full sister to Therapist and was bred this year to Temple City.
