OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Ironhorse Racing Stable’s graded stakes-placed Half Is Enough stalked and pounced to a comfortable three-length score under Trevor McCarthy in Friday’s off-the-turf $120,000 Glen Cove, a six-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.
Originally scheduled at six furlongs on the outer turf, overnight rain forced the race to the fast main track with the Michael Trombetta-trained Half Is Enough, sent to post as the 2-1 mutuel favorite, securing a fourth career main track score.
“She ran very well,” Trombetta said of the daughter of third-crop sire Frosted. “By the time the race came off the turf, it kind of fell into my favor at that point, so that was good.”
Everyoneloveslinda, a 7-1 shot under Kendrick Carmouche, led the six-horse field through splits of 22.81 seconds and 46.06 with Half Is Enough rating to her outside in second position. Half Is Enough ratcheted up the pressure through the turn with graded-stakes winner Sail By advancing up the rail under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano and the Junior Alvarado-piloted Wonka following that one’s lead.
Half Is Enough took over from a game Everyoneloveslinda at the top of the lane and drew off under urging from McCarthy to win in a final time of 1:11.28. Sail By completed the exacta by three-quarters of a length over Everyoneloveslinda with Gal in a Rush, Wonka and Music Amore rounding out the order of finish. Poppy Flower, Girl With a Dream, Zelda and Tasweya were scratched.
McCarthy, who secured his second stakes win of the meet, said he wanted to take an aggressive approach.
“She was probably the horse who can be tactical. Kendrick was the speed coming from the rail and speed has been really good on the fence, so I just wanted to get a good break and be forward,” McCarthy said. “If I couldn’t get the rail, then I wanted to be close, and it paid off. I kind of made an early move knowing that the track was a little bit speed biased and kind of dropped her down the rail coming to the eighth pole to get on the better part of the track. She proved that she was really good on dirt today.”
A $150,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Half Is Enough made her first four starts on dirt, graduating on debut last September at Monmouth Park ahead of scores against winners in May at Laurel Park and in June at Delaware Park.
She finished second to Hot Peppers in her stakes debut in the Grade 3 Victory Ride on July 9 at Belmont Park before trying her luck on turf with an off-the-board effort in the Galway in August at Saratoga Race Course. The talented bay entered from a distant fifth in the Grade 2 Prioress contested at six furlongs on September 2 over the Spa main track.
Trombetta said Half Is Enough will likely get another shot on turf next year.
“She handled the grass fine, she just had a horrible trip,” Trombetta said of the Galway effort. “This filly is obviously good on the dirt, but I still wouldn’t rule out the possibility of trying her on the grass again. It might not be this season, but we’ll figure something out.”
Castellano said the Leah Gyarmati-trained Sail By, winner of last year’s Grade 2 Miss Grillo at 1 1/16-miles on the Belmont turf, performed admirably.
“I like the way she did it today. I know she had been running long and now we’re cutting back to sprinting. In these races, you have to be right there,” Castellano said. “The filly who won had been running on the dirt and my filly was more on turf. But she still showed up, I’m satisfied with how she did it and I’m taking nothing away from her.”
Bred in Kentucky by Rigney Racing, Half Is Enough is out of the Indian Charlie mare Morea, who is a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Weep No More and Grade 3-winner Current. Half Is Enough banked $66,000 in victory while improving her record to 7-4-1-0. She returned $6.10 for a $2 win ticket.
Live racing resumes Saturday at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet with a 10-race card featuring the Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point in Race 9. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.
By Keith McCalmont
Photo by Adam Coglianese
