For Immediate Release: Saturday, September 26, 2015
FULL SALUTE RALLIES TO WIN HALL OF FAME Favorite Tale Wins Prep for Breeders Cup
Morris Bailey’s Full Salute had turned in a couple of solid performances in two stakes starts at Monmouth Park, running second in both the $60,000 Tyro Stakes and the $100,000 Sapling Stakes. Saturday afternoon at Parx, the Speigthstown colt was a bridesmaid no longer as he rallied past leader Formal Summation turning for home and then held off Brid of Trey to win the $150,000 Hall of Fame Stakes for two year-olds by one length.
Breaking from the outside gate in the field of four, Full Salute used that position to sit just outside and just off of the front running Formal Summation for the first half-mile of the six and a half furlong main track event. The outside position also enabled winning jockey Paco Lopez to keep his main rival Bird of Trey pinned down on the inside of the track as he made his winning move at the top of the stretch. Formal Summation had led the way through solid fractions of 22.2 and 45.2 with Full Salute just to his outside and Brid of Trey following those down on the inside. Sensing the leader tiring nearing the head of the stretch, Lopez made sure that rival jockey Jorge Vargas, Jr. had no way out from in behind the leader and then got first run coming off the turn. With the lead and the momentum, Full Salute quickly opened up a length and a half with an eighth of a mile to go and then held his rival safe after Bird of Trey got through on the inside and tried to make a late bid. By then it was too late, and wrapped up late, Full Salute came home a length in front. Trained by Ed Plesa, Full Salute went off as the 6-5 favorite and paid $46.0 to win. The final time was 1:17.43.
On the undercard, 2014 Pennsylvania Horse of the Year, Favorite Tale made his final start before heading to Keeneland to compete in the Breeders Cup Sprint. The multiple graded winner racing for owner Paul Conaway and trainer Lupe Preciado had qualified for the Breeders Cup by winning the G2 Smile Sprint at Gulfstream back in July. His race today was his final prep and after dueling with a stubborn Jake N’ Elwood for more than a half-mile, Favorite Tale showed his class as he edged away through the final furlong under nothing more than a vigorous hand ride by jockey Paco Lopez. The 4 year-old gelded son of Tale of the Cat went on to win by just over two lengths at the finish and covered the six furlongs over a fast track in 1:10.31. As an overwhelming favorite, he paid $2.20 to win.
