WILMINGTON, Del.--For his first race back after racing's three months hiatus, Bernie Houghton saddled Bolt Brotherhood to win in a dramatic fashion at Delaware Park.
Bernie Houghton, with his mother Betsy and son Thomas, who had just won a Pony race.For quite a long time, though, it looked as though Bolt Brotherhood was going to lose in a dramatic fashion.
Ronald E. Dewolf's homebred Bolt Brotherhood won a $23,000 Starter Allowance at 1 mile on Delaware Park's opening day on June 17.
Going down the backside, Bolt Brotherhood was last, about 12 lengths behind the last horse in a fairly spread out group of nine horses in front of him.
It looked like he was going to be skunked.
Then jockey Julio Hernandez began to make his move, swinging wide on the far turn, flashing past horses into the stretch and drawing off to win by 1 1/2 lengths, last by miles to first by a comfortable margin in no time at all.
"I expected him to run that way," said Houghton. "I really like that horse. I lost him in a $10,000 claiming race last October, but his owner said he'd like to claim him back, which really pleased me. So I claimed him back for $8,000 in late November. He'd won both those races."
"I'll probably run him back in another allowance race," said Houghton. "I'd like to run him at Penn National as he's a Pa-bred."
Bolt Botherhood, a 5-year-old gelding, now has six wins, two seconds and eight thirds from 23 starts and earnings of $137,492.
"FOR THE past three months we haven't been doing anything but training, keeping the horses ready to run," said Houghton. "I lost one or two owners, but not too bad. The tracks messed us up a bit."
"Some of the tracks that were running during that time wouldn't allow ship-ins." said Houghton. "So owners would see a race for their horse at a track like Charlestown, so they'd send the horse to a trainer at that track. If the tracks had worked together to protect the trainers it would have helped. Delaware allows ship-ins."
Houghton's home track of Penn National opens today, June 19, and Houghton has three entered.
GRAHAM MOTION saddled Gary Broad's Ratajkowski to win the $125,000, 1 mile Critical Eye Stakes for NY-bred fillies and mares 3 years old and up at Belmont on June 18.
Ratajkowki led from the start to win by a neck for her second stakes win.
The 6-year-old mare, who didn't start until she was 5, now has five wins, one second and one third from eight starts and earnings of $369,490.
MiICHAEL MATZ saddled Hidden Creek Farm's Lasting Union to win a $46,000, 1 1/16 mile Maiden Special Weight for fillies and mares 3 years old and up at Laurel on June 19.
Lasting Union, by Union Rags,who led from the start, won by 1 length after finishing fourth in her first three starts, all this year.
WESLEY WARD had two second placed horses, including one in he featured stakes, for America at Ascot on June 19.
Ranlo Investments LLC's Golden Pal led from the start just to be caught in the last few strides by The Lir Jet in the $66,500, 5 furlong Norfolk Stakes for 2 year olds.
Ten Boeck Farm, Inc.'s Kimari closed to finish second to Golden Horde (Ire) in the featured $332,500, 6 furlong Commonwealth Cup Stakes for 3-year-old colts and fillies.
Kimari broke a step slow but finished fast over a track that was very deep and holding after it had poured rain during the races the day before.
Soaring, trained by Motion, will run in the Coronation Cup tomorrow, June 20.
