2011 Tom Fool (G3) - Calibrachoa
2,029 views · Published 5 March 2011 · 1:23 · Indexed 20 October 2026
Channel: The New York Racing Association · 2011 · Sports
Calibrachoa collected his third consecutive stakes victory and second in a graded race on Saturday afternoon at Aqueduct Racetrack when he closed into a hot pace to win the 36th running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Tom Fool Handicap. Sent off as the 1-2 favorite, Calibrachoa settled well back in third as entrymate Have You Ever and Deputy Daney opened up on the field, hurrying through a quarter in 21.63 and a half-mile in 44.03. Gaining ground as the front runners lost momentum, Calibrachoa easily overtook Deputy Daney just past the eighth pole and drew off to win by 4 ½ lengths. His final time for six furlongs over Aqueduct's fast inner track was 1:09.67. "I was trying to slow him down as much as I could," said jockey Ramon Dominguez, who picked up his second stakes victory on the card in the Tom Fool. "I knew the horses in front of me were going extremely fast, and I just didn't want to fall into chasing and then having someone close on me. I certainly at no point in the race wanted someone to take my position, but at the same time I was trying to reserve as much as I could. I was actually surprised at how much they opened on me. My horse finished up pretty strong." It was the third straight stakes victory over the inner track for the 4-year-old son of Southern Image, who won the $65,000 Gravesend on December 18 and the Grade 3 Toboggan on January 22. Owner Mike Repole claimed the colt for $40,000 out of a winning effort at the Big A on November 18.
