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Stay Close wth jockey Rosie Napravnik
Photo Credit: Jim McCue/MJC
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BALTIMORE, 04-26-08---Two days ago trainer Michael Zwiesler said Stay Close (GB) has never run a bad race. Stay Close lived up to that high praise with a repeat win in the $50,000 Henry S. Clark Stakes Saturday at Pimlico Race Course.
Last year Stay Close won an open allowance on the grass at Tampa Bay before annexing the Clark under jockey Oliver Castillo. He followed the same path from Florida this year, only today he carried Rosie Napravnik.
Stay Close, who is owned by W.S. Farish & W.S. Farish, Jr., raced back in seventh in the one mile test on the turf before Napravnik nudged him to move along. The 6-year-old gelding charged between runners on the turn and turned in a furious rally down the stretch to catch longshot Forty Crowns just before the finish line, winning by a neck in 1:35.82. Headsandtales finished third.
“There seemed to be plenty of speed in there and I was able to get some kind of position,” Napravnik said. “We actually got a pretty good trip. He did everything I asked. Mr. Zwiesler said keep after him down the lane and that’s just what I did and we got there in time. The horse was very easy to ride.”
Stay Close paid $5.20 as the post time favorite and topped a $63.80 exacta and $843.60 triple.
The son of Belong to Me is now four for five in Maryland, including a win in the John Schapiro Memorial Handicap at Laurel Park last September. His only off the board performance in the state was an eighth place finish in the Grade II Dixie Handicap on the 2007 Preakness undercard.
“Rosie rode him perfectly,” Zwiesler said. “He is a runner. Last year we had a tough trip in the Dixie. He always tries and I am wondering when he might throw a bad one in there-but he always tries. I think these older turf horses get better with age if you take care of them.”
Zweisler has already nominated his star to the 2008 Dixie, which will be run three weeks from today, May 17 at Pimlico. Stay Close is now 10-of-27 lifetime with 17 in the money finishes for earnings of nearly $270,000.
Forty Crowns ran his best race since winning the Maryland Million Turf at Laurel Park last October for trainer Eddie Gaudet.
“He gave me what he could,” said Luis Garcia, who was aboard the son of Not For Love. “He is a turf horse. I don’t think they are going to run him on the dirt anymore.”
-MJC-