Forged Steel took over heading into the stretch and stormed away, Benoit Photo
Santa Anita Park Press
ARCADIA, CA —Six months after shipping to Santa Anita from out of state and winning the GII Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita, Forged Steel made a triumphant return to The Great Race Place on Saturday when winning the Grade I, $300,000 Goodwood Stakes going 1 1/8 miles.
Forged Steel (12-1), ridden by Edwin Gonzalez, took command entering the second turn and won by 1 ¼ lengths over stablemate and second choice Caldera (5-2). Both are trained by eastern-based conditioner Saffie Joseph Jr. Nevada Beach, last year’s Goodwood winner and the 6-5 favorite, finished another 1 ¾ lengths in third under Juan Hernandez. Mr. A.P. (10-1) with Joel Rosario aboard completed the superfecta.
As a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” event, Forged Steel earned a fees-paid berth to the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Oct. 31 at Keeneland Race Course.
For Gonzalez, a native of Puerto Rico, this was his first Grade I win on the U.S. mainland. In 2011 at Camarero in Puerto Rico, Gonzalez won the GI Claisco Dia del Veterano.
“I talked to Saffie before the race and he called me and didn’t give me much instruction,” Gonzalez said. “He said to just see where you are at after the start. If they let me, then go to the lead. When I passed the three-eighths (pole), I passed the leader and then was waiting for the other horses to come from behind while giving him a little breather. When I turned for home and when I asked him, it was one ask and he kept going.”
Forged Steel won in a time of 1:48.48 following fractions of 22.97, 47.32 and 1:11.20 and 1:35.74.
“It’s very satisfying to win this race,” Joseph said by phone as he was not at Santa Anita. “This victory is so good for the horse and for Edwin. Edwin gave him a great ride and this was a tremendous effort.”
A 4-year-old colt by Vekoma, Forged Steel is owned by C2 Racing Stable, Mathis Stables and TCC Stables. Prior to Saturday, he had made two starts since his win in the 1 ¼-mile Hollywood Gold Cup. Forged Steel finished fifth in the GII Suburban at Saratoga July and seventh in the GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 22, both at 1 ¼ miles.
“If you watch the Suburban, he stumbled but it was actually a good run,” Joseph said. “In the Pacific Classic at Del Mar, he didn’t like the flat ground, but he ran fine.”
Forged Steel improved to 21: 6-3-3 with more than $600,000 in earnings.
As for Bob Baffert-trained Nevada Beach, who hadn’t raced Feb. 14 in Saudi Arabia, Hernandez said “he ran great” while citing the layoff.
“He hadn’t been out in a long time. I think that was a really good effort in a very tough field. At the three-eighths pole we were trying to get going. He’s a very big horse and it takes him a little time to get going. I saw the horse on the lead (Forged Steel) take off, so I knew it was go time. I still feel it was a big effort off the layoff. We will be ready next time.”
Forged Steel paid $27.60, $9.60 and $5.00. Caldera, ridden by Paco Lopez, returned $4.40 and $2.40. Nevada Beach paid $2.40.
GRADE I, GOODWOOD STAKES QUOTES
JOCKEY QUOTES
EDWIN GONZALEZ, FORGED STEEL, WINNER: “I talked to Saffie before the race and he called me and didn’t give me much instruction. He said to just see where you are at after the start. If they let me, go to the lead. When I passed the three-eighths (pole), I passed the leader and was waiting for the horses to come from behind while giving him a little breather. When I turned for home and when I asked him, it was one ask and he kept going.
ON HIS FIRST NORTH AMERICAN GRADE I VICTORY: “I have to thank Saffie, the owners, for giving me that type of opportunity to ride those kinds of horses. I have a really good relationship with Saffie. The win percentage is always there and he races everywhere. Also, thanks to the team that works hard with the horses and to the owners and my agent, who has done such a great job this year.”
JUAN HERNANDEZ, NEVADA BEACH (FAVORITE), THIRD: “He ran great. He hadn’t been out in a long time. I think that was a really good effort in a very tough field. At the three-eighths pole we were trying to get going. He’s a very big horse and it takes him a little time to get going. I saw the horse on the lead (Forged Steel) take off, so I knew it was go time. I still feel it was a big effort off the layoff. We will be ready next time.”
TRAINER QUOTES
SAFFIE A. JOSEPH, JR. FORGED STEEL, WINNER: “It’s very satisfying to win this race. This victory is so good for the horse and for Edwin. Edwin gave him a great ride and this was a tremendous effort.
“If you watch the Suburban, he stumbled but it was actually a good run. The winner was a runaway and he was playing in a hole until he tired at the end. In the Pacific Classic at Del Mar, he didn’t like the flat ground, but he ran fine.”
OWNER QUOTES
MICHAEL IAVARONE, PART- OWNER, TCC STABLES, FORGED STEEL, WINNER: “First thing I want to say is Saffie, for a young guy, he is building a Hall of Fame career. I mean he’s 1-2 in this race. He sent me a video last night of this horse in his stall and he was rolling around and squealing. I took one look at him and I said, ‘If this horse doesn’t win, I don’t know who is.’
“Congratulations to Edwin, his first Grade I. I told him before his last race (Pacific Classic) that that was going to be his first Grade I and I was wrong that week, but I was right this time. He rode the horse just amazing.”
NOTES: Saffie Joseph, Jr. also trained the runner-up Caldera. The winning owners are C2 Racing Stable LLC, Mathis Stables LLC and TCC Stables LLC.
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