LONGSHOT OHIO PREVAILS BY A NOSE OVER HEAVILY FAVORED CATAPULT IN GRADE I FRANK E. KILROE MILE

By Mike Willman —-

OHIO
ZOE METZ PHOTOGRAPHY

LONGSHOT OHIO PREVAILS BY A NOSE OVER HEAVILY FAVORED CATAPULT IN GRADE I, $400,000 FRANK E. KILROE MILE; FUENTES & McCARTHY TEAM UP FOR TURF WIN IN 1:33.71

ARCADIA, Calif. (March 30, 2019)—Longshot Ohio, an 8-year-old gelding who ran for a $28,000 claiming tag last summer, stalked the early pace, took command a quarter mile from home and prevailed by scant nose over heavily favored Catapult in taking Saturday’s Grade I, $400,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile under Ruben Fuentes. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Brazilian-bred Ohio got a mile on grass in 1:33.71.

In what appeared to be a paceless race on paper, Irish-bred Hunt, who broke from the rail, took the Kilroe lead away from Ohio as the field emerged from the Club House turn and began its run up the backside. Heading into the far turn, Hunt enjoyed a one length advantage, but Ohio headed him a quarter mile from home and then held off what appeared to many as the winning charge of the favorite.

After what seemed like a five to six minute delay, the stewards determined that Ohio had in fact held off Catapult who was in full flight to his outside.

Off at 9-1, Ohio, who was claimed for $50,000 six starts back on June 10, was most recently second in the Grade III Thunder Road and paid $21.20, $5.80 and $3.80.

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bruce Treitman, Ohio picked up $240,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $488,065. The win improved his overall mark to 26-9-4-2.

Catapult, who was a close second two starts back in the Grade I Breeder’s Cup Mile and was fourth over a yielding turf in the Grade I Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park Jan. 26, was off as the 4-5 favorite in a field of six older horses and paid $2.80 and $2.20.

Longshot Desert Stone prevailed in a nose photo over 5-2 second choice River Boyne for the show and paid $6.00 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.98, 47.39, 1:10.47 and 1:21.99.

FRANK E. KILROE GI $400,000 QUOTES

RUBEN FUENTES, OHIO, WINNER: “The instructions were to grab the lead if nobody wanted it, so I jumped out of there and as soon as Hunt went by me I knew we had something to run at and someone to follow. We were going pretty smooth there (23 and 47). Coming into the turn, he wanted to go on his own and Mike said, ‘whatever you do, don’t take anything from him. Whatever he wants to do, go along with it,’ and that’s just what I did. Turning for home, I moved my hands down on him and he gave me a quick turn. After that, I knew I had it and he was gone. Then, I saw a horse on the outside and he saw him too. As soon as he saw him, he fought back and he just got his head right at the wire. It’s great (winning his first Grade 1). It’s the best feeling in the world”

DRAYDEN VAN DYKE, CATAPULT, SECOND: “I thought I was in front at the wire. That is the worst head bob I’ve been involved in. I knew it was close by hearing all the crowd noise. I was hoping it wasn’t that close. After we finished, Ruben (Fuentes) turned to me and congratulated me on the win. He thought he lost”

RAFAEL BEJARANO, RIVER BOYNE FOURTH: “There was no speed up front, the horses up front held sway and never came back to me. I was in a great position. Last time out my horse was boxed in with nowhere to go turning for home, but this time he was in the clear and had every opportunity to run them down; they just never came back to me. He didn’t have any excuses this time. We just couldn’t run down the leaders.”

TRAINER QUOTES

MICHAEL McCARTHY, OHIO, WINNER: “I thought they got the bob (Catapult). I was watching on the big screen and I knew it was pretty close. I was thinking dead heat since it was taking a while. There’s been a lot going through my mind these last three weeks with no racing. This horse is very easy to train. We put a couple of easy works in him and he was ready to go. I thought with the small field that we could take a shot. I thought the race was void of pace and we found a great spot on the backside. . I just thought he was a horse with a lot of back class when we took him to Arizona and he won a nice little race, $75,000 stake and it sort of changed him, he is a very easy horse to train, he’s easy on himself I though today we would be on or close to the lead Hunt went ahead and found himself on the lead we sat right second. I can’t thank Ruben enough for a wonderful ride he’s very patient, obviously today was his first mount in a Grade 1 and first win in a Grade 1 and for the owners Bruce Trietman, the Wellmans, Eclipse Thoroughbred, I can’t thank them enough for their support, it was their idea to go ahead and claim this horse I’m just along for the ride here.” (What’s next?) I’m thinking of taking him to Kentucky for Derby weekend.”

JOHN SADLER, CATAPULT, SECOND BY A NOSE: “Yes, that’s one of the toughest beats we’ve ever had. I thought he ran a great race, I’m really proud of him. That’s just the way it went today.”

NOTES: This was jockey Ruben Fuentes’ first ride in a Grade I race and obviously his first Grade I victory. The winning owners are Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bruce Treitman.

ABOUT SANTA ANITA PARK
Santa Anita Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is North America’s premier supplier of virtual online horseracing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.

ABOUT THE STRONACH GROUP
The Stronach Group (TSG) is a world-class entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred horse racing at the core. The company’s mission is executed through the distinct but interconnected pillars of Racing and Gaming, Entertainment, Technology and Real Estate Development. TSG is dedicated to delivering the best in class Thoroughbred horse racing content and operations. The company holds some of the greatest brands in the industry including, Southern California’s Santa Anita Park, “The Great Race Place”; South Florida’s Gulfstream Park, home to the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series and retail destination, The Village at Gulfstream Park; Pimlico Race Course, home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Laurel Park and Rosecroft Raceway in Maryland; Oregon’s Portland Meadows; and the San Francisco Bay Area’s, Golden Gate Fields. TSG is a leader in digital and mobile wagering technology through its subsidiaries AmTote and Xpressbet and is a major distributor of horse racing content to a global audience through Monarch Content Management. The award winning Adena Springs is the breeding and training facility of The Stronach Group with stables in Kentucky, Florida and Ontario.