Shogood relished his return to sprinting on Polytrack Saturday night, leading all the way to take the $50,000 WEBN “Frog” Stakes at Turfway Park by a length and a half over long shot Blue Wings. Surgical Strike made a late run from mid-pack to finish a head farther back in third.
With Christopher Emigh riding for trainer Scott Becker, Shogood broke from post nine after scratches moved him two spots toward the rail. He was out first and fast, never looking back as he set the first quarter in :22.19 and the half in :45.02 before finishing the 6-1/2 furlongs in 1:17.63.
“I wanted to see what I just saw,” said Becker. “Maybe it was a little quick early, but he likes to run a little more free like that. He had some trouble in his last couple races, and I think this surface is more kind to him.”
Becker said he’s “probably 50-50” on bringing Shogood back for the 1-1/16-mile Battaglia Memorial, traditionally the next step in Turfway’s series for 3-year-olds. “I think the distance limitations will probably keep us from it,” Becker said. “I’m not positive at this point. We’ll see what happens.”
The filly Banree, the 6-5 favorite who was making her first start since November, was not as close to the pace as she usually is, racing briefly in fourth toward the inside before dropping back to finish sixth.
“She broke good,” said jockey Albin Jimenez, “but when she started getting [Polytrack] in her face she didn’t like it. She never got into it. It was a little tough for her against the boys.”
Shogood went off the 5-2 second choice and returned $7.80 to win, $5 to place and $3.20 to show.
Finishing fourth and following were Oh Oz, the filly Tia Flor, Banree, Aussie Fury, The Right Thing, Van Damme and Run Like Elle. Oscar Mike and Twirling Cinnamon were scratched by their trainers. Gold Ekati and Kiss Limit failed to draw in from the also-eligible list.
Shogood is owned by William Stiritz and was bred in Illinois by Terry L. Morgan, DVM. The bay colt is by Nobiz Like Shobiz out of the Good and Tough mare Good and Rough. The WEBN score improved his record to three wins and a second in six starts for earnings of $112,032.
The WEBN is the first of two local preps for the $500,000 Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes (G3) on April 2, a Road to the Kentucky Derby points race. The second prep, the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes, is March 12. The Battaglia Memorial is named for the general manager of Turfway, then known as Latonia, who launched the Spiral Stakes in 1972.
From Turfway Park