Miss Fulton Gal re-rallies in Beyond the Wire thriller

LAUREL, MD—On a beautiful Saturday afternoon at Laurel Park, just after the Private Terms Stakes for 3-year-olds running 1 1/16 miles, three railbirds tried to figure out the final result.

“It had to be the pedigree,” one confidently said, pointing to a worn track program.

“Nah,” said another. “Bet on the longest-priced Capuano.”

“You’re both crazy," said the third. “Just follow Yedsit.”

Mic drop.

Earlier this week, trainer Gary Capuano revealed which of his three Private Terms entrants was the top pick of Laurel’s leading rider, Yedsit Hazlewood.

“Hazlewood likes them all, but he likes Wild Warrior and Let’s Go Lando,” Capuano said. “Let’s Go Lando ran a huge race with him last time, and he still seems to like Wild Warrior.”

The teenage phenom proved correct as Wild Warrior edged out a determined Code of Silence to win the Private Terms by a neck in 1:47.84 on a fast track.

Wild Warrior started from the far outside post in the five-horse field and smoothly moved to a pace-tracking position, while uncoupled stablemate Hollywood Import took the lead from Lundi Loot after an opening quarter of 23.78 seconds.

Fresh off two stakes wins at seven furlongs, favored Hollywood Import eased the pace under jockey Mychel Sanchez and completed a half-mile in 48.24 seconds while moving comfortably.

Hollywood Import appeared to have his opponents under control after six furlongs in 1:13.96. Hazlewood used a left-handed stick outside the quarter pole to keep Wild Warrior focused on his task, then steadied between Hollywood Import and Code of Silence, who launched a threatening three-wide rally.

Code of Silence passed Wild Warrior, powered away from Hollywood Import at the three-sixteenths pole, and appeared on his way to victory.

Hazlewood didn’t give up on his mount, however. He moved Wild Warrior outside of Code of Silence for a clear path, and the chestnut colt overtook the late leader in the final sixteenth.

Let’s Go Lando, also trained by Capuano, placed third, just three-quarters of a length behind Code of Silence. After starting from the inside, Let’s Go Lando stayed on the rail for most of the race and had to navigate through a tight opening when turning for home.

Hollywood Import and Lundi Loot completed the order of finish. Higher Sense was scratched.

Wild Warrior paid $7.20 as the third choice.

“We’ve always thought a lot of him,” Capuano said in the winner’s circle. “Everything worked out good. He broke good; he had a good trip. It’s all about the trip in these races. At the sixteenth pole, I didn’t think he was catching [Code of Silence], and then you could just see him grinding. He gutted it out. He’s got some quickness if you need it, but he’s got that stamina. He’ll hang in there.”

Bred in Kentucky by Titletown Racing Stables and BRS, Wild Warrior is a son of Improbable out of a winning half-sister to Grade 2 winner Bel Air Beauty.

Purchased for $25,000 as a yearling by Capuano on behalf of Rose Petal Stable, Wild Warrior rallied from off the pace to win his debut, a one-mile maiden special weight at Delaware last October 18.

Following two third-place finishes, Wild Warrior wrapped up his juvenile campaign by winning a first-level allowance at Laurel on December 14.

Capuano entered Wild Warrior in the seven-furlong Spectacular Bid Stakes on February 4 and was not discouraged when the colt finished behind both Hollywood Import and Code of Silence.

“He’s more of a two-turn horse,” Capuano noted earlier in the week. “He actually did run a really good race [in the Spectacular Bid]. His form doesn’t show it, but he was inside, kind of bottled up a little bit. He didn’t get the best of trips that day, but he held on well.”

Capuano said that Wild Warrior and Let’s Go Lando will be pointing toward the $150,000 Federico Tesio Stakes on April 18. The winner of the Federico Tesio earns an automatic spot in the Grade 1, $2,000,000 Preakness Stakes, the second jewel in the Triple Crown, held at Laurel on May 16.

Code of Silence’s trainer, Tim Keefe, said that his horse will also head to the Federico Tesio.

As for our third railbird, Capuano shot down his analysis.

“They’re never right, though,” Capuano laughed when reminded that Hazlewood chose Wild Warrior. “Riders are never right. When he told me he wanted Wild Warrior, I told him that he hadn’t been right yet. But, he was right today.”

Hazlewood was correct twice more on Saturday. He teamed up with trainer Hugh McMahon for wins aboard Fowl Mouth ($2.40) in the fourth race and Twice Gold ($5.60) in the ninth.

A native of Panama who turned 18 on March 10, Hazlewood was the runner-up in last year’s Eclipse Award balloting for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey. With 48 victories at this Laurel Park meet, he maintains a 28-win lead over Angel Cruz.

Private Terms raced in the colors of Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Janney’s Locust Hill Farm, winning 12 races, nine stakes, and earning over $1.2 million from 1987 to 1989. His notable victory came in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial. His track record of 1:47 1/5 in winning the 1989 Never Bend Handicap at Pimlico still stands. He sired Grade 1-winning millionaires Soul of the Matter and Afternoon Deelites.

*Miss Fulton Gal re-rallies in Beyond the Wire thriller

Like Wild Warrior, Miss Fulton Gal looked beaten in Saturday’s $100,000 Beyond the Wire Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at one mile, but managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Law School took an early lead under Hazlewood, posting reasonable fractions of 24.83 and 49.28 seconds. Jockey Raul Mena kept Miss Fulton Gal close behind the winner, but seemed outrun when Peach Tie, the odds-on favorite, made a strong bid for the lead on the turn.

Peach Tie, unbeaten in five previous dirt starts, was quickly challenged by Aqueduct maiden winner Some Ride, who gained a clear lead in the upper stretch.

Some Ride looked ready to pop the champagne, but Miss Fulton Gal and Peach Tie both made a comeback. At the second-wire finish, Miss Fulton Gal scored by a head over Peach Tie, with Some Ride another half-length behind in third.

Law School faltered to fourth. Somemunny to Love trailed. Momaxie was scratched.

Miss Fulton Gal, the second choice in the betting, paid $8.20 after completing the race in 1:40.64.

“I knew that [Law School] was one of the horses to make the pace,” Mena said. “When I saw her in front of me, I got very confident, because I wanted to make sure that [Law School] was waiting for the favorite. I was confident to take the position of the rail. When [Peach Tie and Law School hooked up], and they saw [Some Ride], they weren’t even paying attention to my horse, but I knew I had plenty of horse to finish the race."

Miss Fulton Gal, a daughter of Rock Your World out of unplaced Leah Forestiere, by Not This Time, was bred in Kentucky by Malia Hopkins, Virginia Moore, and Lee Forestiere.

She sold for $3,000 as a short yearling, went for $5,000 as a yearling, and was bought for $35,000 last June by Trott Racing Stables and Five Sisters Farm based on the advice of champion jockey Vincent “Jimbo” Bracciale, who owned Five Sisters with his wife and five daughters before he passed