Zapperini lives up to Foley’s belief in Ellis feature; Pretty Greeley steps up: Go Away wins first time out

Trainer Greg Foley long has held a high opinion of Lloyd Madison Farms IV’s Zapperini, but felt the horse was decidedly underachieving last year.

Foley got the 5-year-old Zapperini’s attention by gelding him over the winter in New Orleans. The way Zapperini was going, he wasn’t going to be a stallion anywhere anyway. The hope was to get him back on track as a very good racehorse. Zapperini showed the plan is working as he bested a very nice field in Friday’s featured $44,000 allowance/optional claiming race at Ellis Park, beating co-favored Chocolate Ride by 1 3/4 lengths while running the mile over the firm Wright Implement turf course in 1:33.66, the fastest time at the distance of the young meet.

“This has been a good horse,” Foley said. “He was a real nice 3-year-old, then we kind of were disappointed in him for awhile. He had a lot of seconds and thirds, just kind of ‘hanging’ and that. Anyway, we castrated him this winter at the Fair Grounds and freshened him a little bit.

“I started him back sprinting, and he came flying that day in a (second-level) allowance at 5 1/2 furlongs, third or fourth and just came from last. Another three jumps and he wins and he galloped out like an eighth-mile in front. I thought, ‘Maybe that’s what this horse wants.’ You see on his form we tried sprinting him a couple more times and he just didn’t have enough gas to sprint. Anyway, we put him in the mile today. The horse worked great last week, and he ran big today. He likes this turf course. He’s won two with a third in three starts. He had run on his mind today and got the money.”

Ridden by Gabriel Saez, Zapperini tracked front-running Chocolate Ride in second, angling off the rail on the far turn and edging away at the wire to finish 1.06 seconds off the course record. Zapperini paid $15.20 as the fourth choice in the field of five 3-year-olds and up. Italian Charm finished third while edging Saham, the technical favorite over Chocolate Ride with both horses 8-5 in the betting.

“I got a good trip,” said Saez after winning his third race of the meet in 12 starts, while leading in purse earnings at $74,435. Saez returns to Ellis after a couple of years back East. “I’m glad to be back at Ellis. Hopefully we continue the momentum we’ve got. Knock on wood everything stays safe and we go from there.

“This was a nice race. There were a few scratches. I got him into the position I wanted to be. When it was time to get the job done, we did it.”

Zapperini now is 3-2-4 in 22 starts, earning $174,113 with the $26,950 paycheck. It was his first win in 16 starts, dating to his allowance victory two years ago at Ellis in his first start on turf.

After the then-colt won on his second attempt, Zapperini ran a respectable fifth in the Fair Grounds’ Risen Star Stakes. Opting to duck Gun Runner, who would go on to be 2017 Horse of the Year, Foley scratched Zapperini out of the Louisiana Derby to run in Keeneland’s Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass. He didn’t run well, but it shows you the respect the barn had for Zapperini’s talent. The horse went on to finish second, third and fourth in three turf stakes but then never got over the hump as a 4-year-old.

Zapperini, a son of 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, has the same mom (the Smart Strike mare Bobby’s Babe) as May Lily, whom the stable is running in Sunday’s $50,000 Ellis Park Turf Stakes.

Foley said Zapperini could run back in a third-level allowance race at Ellis or even go in the $100,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Tourist Mile on Aug. 5. “I wouldn’t be afraid to try him,” he said. “He ran nice today.”

Pretty Greeley gives Morales fourth win of meet

Edgar Morales won his fourth race of the meet when Pretty Greeley captured the fifth race, an entry-level allowance, by a neck over favored Sworn Silence. Pretty Greeley, a 5-year-old daughter of Greeley’s Conquest, paid $20.20 after covering six furlongs on dirt in 1:10.12.

Pretty Greeley earned her fourth win in 22 starts. She was eligible for the allowance condition because her prior wins came in a maiden and two claiming races, including for $16,000 when she was claimed by owners Mark Moore, William Simon and Brent Gasaway this past winter at Oaklawn.

Turned over to John Ortiz, Pretty Greeley won two of four starts, with two thirds, in claiming races, including winning for $30,000 in her last start at Churchill Downs.

“She’s training really well in the mornings,” said Morales, who has ridden Pretty Greeley since she was claimed “She’s getting better and better. When they claimed her, she was a little bit lazy. John Ortiz is a really good trainer. I’ve won three races with her, for $20,000, for $30,000 and now an allowance race. She’s got heart.”

Go Away comes away with victory in first start

Go Away, a first-time starter trained by Eddie Kenneally, drove to the lead in the stretch to win the 2-year-old maiden race by five lengths over 16-1 shot Mr Zydeco. Go Away, who covered the mile on the Wright Implement turf course in 1:35.91, paid $6.40 to win as the second choice under Declan Cannon.

“He’s a lovely son of Scat Daddy,” said Cannon, referring to the deceased Ashford Stud stallion who also sired Triple Crown winner Justify. “He’s a big, good-looking colt. He’s going to get better as time goes on. He was very green today. But he’s got a lot of potential, a lovely mind on him. He did everything right, just having a look (around) when he got to the front, which is understandable with a first-time starter. He’s a nice colt with a big future.”

Go Away is owned by Andrew Farm, Lewis Lakin and Jose Singer.

It was Cannon’s second win, but he also has five seconds and a third in 16 mounts. “If those seconds were wins, I’d be really happy,” he said. “But I won’t grumble too much. I’m blessed to ride for people who have some nice horses. It really makes my job easier.”