Whatchatalkinabout lands first graded stakes victory in Saturday’s John A. Nerud at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo/Susie Raisher.
Whatchatalkinabout returned to stakes company for the first time since October 2023 and came away with a gritty victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $169,750 John A. Nerud at Aqueduct.
Owned by Ice Wine Stable and trained by Wesley Ward, the 4-year-old son of Dialed In also returned from an almost five-month layoff to win a three-way photo in the 6-furlong Nerud. Irad Ortiz Jr. rode Whatchatalkinabout, who edged Silver Slugger to his inside and Surveillance to the outside.
Bet down to even-money favoritism, Whatchatalkinabout broke well and relinquished the lead early to Silver Slugger up the backstretch. Silver Slugger led through the opening quarter-mile in :21.89 over the fast track, just ahead of Whatchatalkinabout with Surveillance and Full Moon Madness right behind the top pair.
Silver Slugger and Whatchatalkinabout continued their battle around the far turn and to the half in :44.84 with Surveillance ranging up three wide at the top of the lane. The trio flashed past the eighth pole heads apart in :56.67 for the 5 furlongs and threw it down in deep stretch.
Whatchatalkinabout edged clear of Silver Slugger just before the wire for his second stakes score and fourth overall win from seven starts. Whatchatalkinabout, scratched at the gate before last month’s Grade 3 Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland, won in 1:09.03.
“He’s a good horse, talented,” Ward said. “He ran a gutsy race. I was proud of him. That horse on the inside [Silver Slugger] ran a big one and also the grey horse on the outside [Surveillance]. To be in the middle of those two and for him to gut through it really showed something.
Ortiz came away equally impressed.
“He was good. I was supposed to ride him last time and we scratched at the gate,” he said. “He was much better at the gate. That helped, we broke so good, he put me right in the race, and after that I was closer than I thought, and I go from there. He was game at the end. He felt the outside horse and fought. Then the inside horse came back, and he fights back and by the time we hit the wire he had his head in front. He was game, he was fighting.”
Whatchatalkinabout started his career with two wins in three starts, including a debut score in mid-May 2023 at Belmont Park and the New York Breeders’ Futurity in mid-October at Finger Lakes. He also finished third behind The Wine Steward and El Grande O in the Funny Cide Stakes on Saratoga Showcase Day during his juvenile season.
Off until last October, Whatchatalkinabout returned with back-to-back seconds at Aqueduct before an 8-length victory in mid-January at Aqueduct. Ward purposely waited until this spring to bring Whatchatalkinabout back to the races.
“He ran such a big number in his last race, I just wanted to give him a bunch of time,” Ward said. “I’ve learned a lot over the 35 years. When I started, I had black hair and now it’s white, so, I’ve learned what not to do. It’s hard to be patient, especially when he ran a big one like that.”
Bred by Newtown Anner Stud, Whatchatalkinabout is the sixth foal out of the unraced Super Saver mare Super Savvy. A half-sister to Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed Don’t Forget Gil, Super Savvy is the dam of 10-time winner and $354,215-earner Prince James and winner Stopdropandroll.
Super Savvy is also the dam of the 2-year-old New York-bred Sharp Azteca colt Hamilton’s Reason and a colt by Maxfield born February 12 in Kentucky. Newtown Anner Stud bred both colts.
Originally consigned by Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale, Whatchatalkinabout left the ring unsold on a bid of $38,000. Reoffered by Blake-Albina at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale, Whatchatalkinabout sold to Ward for $82,000.
Whatchatalkinabout earned $96,250 for the Nerud victory to boost his bankroll to $335,328.
