OZONE PARK, N.Y.— Trainer Jorge Abreu celebrated a long-awaited victory with Lawrence Goichman and Jennifer Goichman’s graded stakes-placed Shawdyshawdyshawdy in Friday’s seventh race at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet, a 1 3/8-mile allowance for 3-year-olds and up over the inner turf.
The off-the-pace score was the first for the son of Summer Front since his debut victory in August 2020. Ridden to victory by Jose Ortiz,
Shawdyshawdyshawdy stalked in seventh just four lengths behind pacesetter C Falls for the first mile of the race. A patient Ortiz asked him for more approaching the final turn, improving to fifth at the top of the stretch. Under steady urging, Shawdyshawdyshawdy picked off rivals down the lane to nab the victory by a neck over Orchestration in a final time of 2:15.34.
“I think Jose gave him a perfect ride and was just tracking the only [speed] horse in the race and he got it done,” Abreu said.
The Friday allowance came on the heels of a game runner-up effort going one mile at Saratoga Race Course on August 28, and marked the first time the 4-year-old gelding raced beyond nine furlongs.
“I thought the horse was looking for some distance, but every time a race would show up, it was a mile or a mile and a sixteenth,” Abreu said. “He showed up at Saratoga with a huge run going a mile, but there wasn’t enough pace for him to run at.”
Despite his absence from the winner’s circle, Shawdyshawdyshawdy has put together a productive campaign since his debut, earning a graded placing when third in last year’s off-the-turf Grade 3 Pennine Ridge at Belmont. He also boasts a near-perfect 5-for-6 in-the-money record this year and total purse earnings of $228,874.
Abreu said it is possible Shawdyshawdyshawdy returns to stakes level this fall in his next outing.
“Larry is the type of owner that likes to try them in stakes races,” said Abreu. “The end of the turf season is going to come soon, so we’ll look for something long and see what comes up.”
Upcoming races at the Big A fall meet for older horses going long on the turf include the Grade 2, $300,000 Red Smith at 1 3/8 miles on November 26.
NYRA Press Office
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