Richard and Nancy Kaster’s homebred Really Sharp lived up to his name with a brave stretch run to hold off favoured Occasional View in Sunday’s $153,400 Grade 3 Vigil Stakes, at Woodbine.
Trained by Ian Black and expertly ridden by Steve Bahen, the four-year-old chestnut son of Sharp Humor made his first added-money score a graded effort besting a talented field of eight in the seven furlong ‘Poly’ tilt.
Go Blue Or Go Home was quickest from the gate marking the opening quarter in :23.43 with Really Sharp sitting just to his inside in second position. Bear No Joke rushed up the rail to make the half in :45.88 and led the field through the turn as Victory Exchange and Ultimate Destiny rallied wide from off the pace.
Bahen urged Really Sharp to the lead at the top of the lane and put away Bear No Joke with plenty in reserve to fend off the advancing Occasional View by three-quarters of a length in a final running time of 1:21.83. Go Blue Or Go Home stayed on to complete the triactor.
Delegation, making his 2014 debut for trainer Mark Casse and owner Gary Barber, was pulled up immediately after the break and was later humanely euthanized on the track.
A five-year-old bay son of Speightstown, Delegation posted a career record of 16-6-3-2 including scores in the Grade 3 Durham Cup and Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes, at Woodbine.
Bahen, steering Really Sharp for the first time on race day, felt comfortable throughout having galloped the colt extensively through the winter at Payson Park in Florida.
“He rated real nice and was sitting there waiting to run,” said Bahen. “He was really sharp today.”
Despite being sent to post at odds of 28-1, the longest shot on the board, Black felt his colt was in with a shout after finishing a good third in the Jacques Cartier Stakes behind rivals Dan the Tin Man (18-1 in the Vigil) and Victory Exchange (9-2 in the Vigil)last time out.
“He was a big overlay. The horses that were first and second the last time he ran were a lot shorter prices today,” said Black. “I thought he was sitting on a big race, but it was even bigger than I expected.”
Really Sharp banked $90,000 in victory while improving his record to 2-1-3 from 10 career starts.
He returned $59.10, $15.50 and $9.50, pairing with Occasional View ($3.90, $2.70) for a $249.20 (4-8) exactor. A 4-8-9 (Go Blue Or Go Home, $4.70 to show) triactor was worth $1414.40. Bear No Joke completed a $1 Superfecta (4-8-9-3) worth $4411.95. Dynamic Sky was scratched.
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