“We got the performance we needed out of him,” said Hernandez. “He went around there and did his job and galloped out really good. Now we’re ready to go to California. He got a little tired, but I went ahead and I made him gallop-out pretty good so we can have him at a 100 percent for the big one.”
The “big one” for Wilkes, Whitham, Hernandez and Fort Larned will be the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Ca. Nov. 2 where they will try to repeat with a win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
Charlie Lopresti’s Homecoming runner-up, Windswept, and jockey Corey Lanerie, who have two wins at Churchill Downs, plan to return to the historic track in the fall for the Grade 1 Clark Handicap Nov. 29.
”If we’d just been a little closer or somebody had pressed him (Fort Larned), I think we could have won the race,” said Lopresti. “I think he’s a good horse. Believe me, two more jumps and he had him. He was flying. This horse is a good horse. When Corey asked him, he was just flying. I’m happy with him. I’ll be back in the Clark.”
Fort Larned returned $2.60, $2.20, and $2.10. Windswept paid $4.40 and 3.60 and completed the $2 exacta for $10.60. Worldy paid $6.00 and completed the $2 trifecta for $89.40. Agent Di Nozzo completed the $2 superfecta for $272.60. The final time for the 1 1/8 mile race over the fast dirt was 1:48:58.
Photo: Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer
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