Crewman survived two jockeys’ objections to win the $50,000 black type Forego Stakes at Turfway Park Saturday by three-quarters of a length over Hollywood Talent.
Snow Leopard was another head back in third, followed a nose later by the 8-5 post time favorite, Dac.
The Forego was the first career stakes win for both Crewman and jockey Jack Gilligan and the first Turfway stakes win for veteran trainer Dee Poulos.
Crewman jumped out quickly in the 6 1/2-furlong Forego and then raced in second to the outside behind a quick pace timed first by Elusive Holiday in :22.74 and then by Mongol Bull in :44.84. He took over just after the half-mile mark and finished the sprint in a blistering 1:15.41, barely off the track record of 1:15.35 set in 2006 by Cielo Song.
“The trainer told me not to fight him too much, so I let him out and let him run,” said Gilligan. “It’s good to get my first stakes win at Turfway. I’ve gotten a lot of wins here.”
The close margins and the objections—one lodged by Hollywood Talent’s jockey, Albin Jimenez, and the other by Dac’s rider, Rodney Prescott—were the result of hotly contested strides among the top four in deep stretch, with Crewman coming out as he neared the finish.
“I didn’t expect the objection, so I was a little nervous about that,” said the Chicago-based Poulos. “But [Crewman] loves this track. He was just a tick off the record, and he did the same thing when he won last time in his first start here [Dec. 3, going a mile]. Of course, he’s a Candy Ride, so he’s versatile: six-and-a-half, mile-and-a-sixteenth—whatever. He’s a good one to have.”
Finishing fifth and following were Mongol Bull, Cerro, Attain, Ghost Is Clear and Elusive Holiday. Blue Wings, Copperplate, Expected Ruler, Mellow Fellow and The Great War were scratched by their trainers.
Crewman returned $17, $7.60 and $6.40 as the 7-1 fourth choice in the field of nine.
A 6-year-old son of Candy Ride (ARG) out of the Empire Maker mare Lake Naivasha, Crewman was bred in Kentucky by Emory A. Hamilton. The Forego win improved his record to 5-11-3 in 28 starts and boosted his earnings to $172,249 for Tim Kindlon’s Dundalk 5 LLC.