Tacony Road and Emanuel De Diego rally on the outside to win Monday’s George W. Barker at Finger Lakes. SV Photography.
Tim Murphy’s homebred Tacony Road rallied from off the pace to upset the battling favored duo Looms Boldly and Lady’s Golden Guy in Monday’s $50,000 George W. Barker Stakes at Finger Lakes.
Sent off as the second longest shot in the field of six at 20-1, Tacony Road made a sustained run around the far turn and through the stretch to win the 6-furlong Memorial Day feature by a length over Lady’s Golden Guy. Multiple stakes winner and 1-2 favorite Looms Boldly finished another head back in third in his attempt to get back to the winning form that saw him land the John Morrissey Handicap last summer at Saratoga Race Course.
Tacony Road landed his first stakes victory in his third stakes attempt, after finishing sixth in the 2023 New York Derby and third in last year’s Leon Reed Memorial, both at Finger Lakes. The 5-year-old Klimt gelding came into the Barker off a third behind Lady’s Golden Guy and stablemate Rhymes Like Dimes in an open-company allowance May 6 at Finger Lakes.
Murphy also trains Tacony Road, who was ridden to victory in the Barker by Emanuel De Diego. Tacony Road won in 1:12.71.
Lady’s Golden Guy, the 2-1 second choice, came away quick from the gate and opened up on his five rivals early. Looms Boldly made up the deficit and joined the leader through the opening quarter-mile in :22.75 with Tacony Road and Rhymes Like Dimes chasing the top pair while racing side-by-side up the backstretch.
Looms Boldly put a head in front around the far turn and clicked past the half in :45.96 with a determined Lady’s Golden Guy hanging tough on the rail. The two leaders continued their battle into the stretch and past 5 furlongs in :58.93 before Tacony Road emerged on the scene late and won going away. Royal Suspect, Rhymes Like Dimes and Take the Gold completed the field.
Tacony Road is the first foal out of the multiple stakes-winning Nobiz Like Shobiz mare Fingerpainter, who Murphy also trained. Bred in New York by Richard and Kay Zwirn, Fingerpainter won six of 16 starts and earned $148,347. Second at 2 in the Shesastonecoldfox Stakes at Finger Lakes, she returned at 3 to win the Niagara Stakes and Arctic Queen Stakes.
Fingerpainter is also the dam of the winning New York-bred Firing Line gelding Paint the Line and the 2-year-old New York-bred Take Charge Indy filly Our Girl Indy. Fingerpainter is also the dam of a colt by Vekoma born February 21 and named Fly Vekoma Fly.
Tacony Road improved to 6-for-22 with the Barker victory and boosted his earnings to $149,683.
