ELMONT, N.Y. – Eric Fein’s Original earned a career-best 86 Beyer with a gate-to-wire score in Sunday’s $100,000 Manila, holding off a furious late rally from Public Sector in the one-mile Widener turf test for sophomores at Belmont Park.
The Kentucky-bred son of Quality Road, with Luis Saez up for trainer John Terranova, set a moderate pace over good going, kicking two lengths clear of the field at the stretch call en route to a head score.
“It was a gutsy race. He’s a real consistent horse. He always gives an honest effort,” said Terranova. “Fortunately, he handled the soft going and did that well yesterday. He used his speed to his advantage. Everyone backed off on him and Luis was able to get the jump on them and kick away.”
Original finished third in the one-mile Grade 3 Kitten’s Joy in January at Gulfstream and completed the trifecta in the 1 1/16-mile Woodhaven in April at Aqueduct.
Terranova said that the one-mile Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame on August 6 at Saratoga is a possibility, but he would also like to see if Original can carry his speed for a bigger purse in the 1 3/16-miile Grade 1, $ 1 million Saratoga Derby Invitational, second leg of the Turf Triple series on August 7.
“I’m not so sure the mile is his game. We’ll see how he’s doing coming into Saratoga but it’s [the Hall of Fame] certainly a possibility,” said Terranova. “We’ve toyed with the idea of stretching him out further because he has speed that can carry. He’s very handy and can control the race at times. He’s got a turn of foot and he digs in and tries.
“The Saratoga Derby is a race we might think about if things are going well,” Terranova continued. “Speed can be a key weapon on the grass if your horse can carry it. He’s got the pedigree for it and the mind. He’s pretty smooth and chill.”
Terranova said Hidden Brook Farm and Joseph G. McMahon’s Bank Sting is on target for the Grade 3, $250,000 Molly Pitcher, a 1 1/16-mile test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up on July 17 at Monmouth Park.
The 4-year-old daughter of Central Banker, out of the Precise End mare Bee in a Bonnet, was a gate-to-wire winner of the one-mile Critical Eye last out over a muddy Belmont main track on May 31. Mrs. Orb, third-place finisher in the Critical Eye, came back to win the Caesar’s Wish on Sunday at Pimlico.
Bred in the Empire State by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, Bank Sting worked six furlongs in 1:14.78 Monday in company with maiden-winner Life Change on a Belmont main track rated fast.
“She’s doing great. She had a big work this morning. She’s done nothing wrong and deserve a shot at that next level,” said Terranova. “We’re looking at the Molly Pitcher at Monmouth. We got some black type on her, so let’s see if we can get some graded type.”
NYRA Press Office
Photo: Original, (Chelsea Durand)
