Mr Freeze hits another gear, holds on for dramatic win in Fayette Stakes at Keeneland
The warm-up to the 2020 Breeders’ Cup World Championships continued Saturday at Keeneland as more stakes racing highlighted the second weekend of competition at the Lexington track’s Fall Meet.
Keeneland sales graduate Mr Freeze held on for a dramatic victory in the Grade 2, $200,000 Hagyard Fayette Stakes. The Dale Romans trainee broke as the 6-5 favorite under jockey Javier Castellano and laid off the pace early, then shot to the lead at the top of the stretch.
Aurelius Maximus, the 4-1 second choice trained by Steve Asmussen, nearly drew even midway through the stretch but Mr Freeze found another gear and held on to win the 1 1/8-mile dirt contest by a head.
The victory marks a return to form for Mr Freeze who, heading into the Fayette, finished a disappointing sixth in back-to-back stakes races. Before that, he’d hit the board in five straight graded stakes.
Before Saturday’s race, Romans predicted Mr Freeze was ready to get back to the winner’s circle.
“It’s time for him to turn it around. He’s really been training well,” Romans told Marty McGee of the Daily Racing Form. “He’s primed for a big effort, absolutely.”
With his sixth career and fourth graded win, Mr Freeze is approaching $1.5 million in earnings.
Breeders’ Cup hopefuls hit track
Several horses with aspirations to compete in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Nov. 6-7 worked at the Lexington track on Saturday morning.
Higher Power, pointed toward the $6 million, Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic, covered 6 furlongs on the dirt in 1:13.80 under Juan Levya for trainer John Sadler. Calumet Farm’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff hopeful, Vexatious, went a half-mile in :49 for trainer Jack Sisterson.
Three fillies pointing toward next Friday’s Grade 3 Pin Oak Valley View at Keeneland also worked on turf: Walk In Marrakesh covered a half-mile in :49.40; Outburst went a half-mile in :49.80 and Princess Grace worked a half-mile in :51.40.
Triple play
Mike Sisk’s M & M Racing shot to the top of the Keeneland owner standings Friday when all three of the stable’s entrants were ridden to victory by David Cohen.
Nomizar started the run with a nearly 11-length win in race No. 2 at odds of 3-1. Ghostly Who won the fourth race by 7 1/2 lengths at odds of 6-1, and Strike That took the eighth race by a head at 6-1. All three are trained by Robertino Diodoro.
“There was a lot of texting going on yesterday afternoon,” Diodoro said. “I don’t think I have gone 3-for-3 for the same owner in one day ... “And definitely not at Keeneland, and that’s the most important thing.”
Paul Pompa passes away
Paul Pompa Jr., a well-known and well-regarded Thoroughred owner and breeder, died Friday at the age of 62. David Grening of Daily Racing Form reported Saturday that the cause of death was likely a heart attack.
Pompa, a New Jersey resident who until recently owned Brooklyn-based trucking company Truck-Rite Corp., was best known in the racing industry as co-owner of multiple Grade 1 stakes winner Big Brown.
After entering the Thoroughbred business in 2000, Pompa bought Big Brown as a 2-year-old in training in 2007 for $190,000. He sold an interest in the colt to IEAH Stables after Big Brown scored a dominant win in his debut at Saratoga later that year.
In 2008, Big Brown won the Florida Derby, Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Haskell Invitational — all Grade 1 stakes — and retired with earnings of over $3.6 million. Big Brown’s only loss in eight career starts came in the 2008 Belmont Stakes, when he was eased up by jockey Kent Desormeaux and did not finish.
Pompa is survived by his wife, Lisa, and two sons.
Keeneland 2020 Fall Meet
When: Through Oct. 24 (no spectators allowed)
Race days: Wednesdays through Sundays
First post: 1:05 p.m.
