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By Jim Dunleavy, courtesy drf.com
Hit It Once More scored an easy win in the second-richest race of the Finger Lakes meet Saturday, taking the $164,150 New York Derby by 6 1/2 lengths.
Hit It Once More romps by 6 1/2 lengths under Kendrick Carmouche in the New York Derby.
Trained by Gary Sciacca and ridden by Kendrick Carmouche. Hit It Once More wrested the early lead from Awesome Gent, set a controlled pace on an open lead, and then widened his advantage in the stretch while being taken in hand by Carmouche late.
Hit It Once More paid $5 as the favorite in the seven-horse field of New York-bred 3-year-olds. He set fractions of 24.37 seconds, 48.10, and 1:11.81 before completing the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.02. [VIDEO]
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After going winless in five starts last year, Hit It Once More won a statebred maiden race by 4 1/2 lengths at Aqueduct in April and then came back to win a New York-bred allowance by five lengths at Belmont Park in May. In his most recent start, Hit It Once More tired to finish a well beaten fourth against open company in the Easy Goer Stakes at Belmont.
Extinct Charm, the second choice at 2-1, finished well to be second-best after encountering traffic on the backstretch. Extinct Charm attempted to move up along the inner rail on the backstretch but lacked room, brushed with Awesome Gent, and then dropped back. He rerallied to be 4 1/2 lengths clear of third-place finisher Taoiseach.
Awesome Gent stalked the winner early, dropped back a bit on the backstretch, and then finished evenly to be fourth.
