Front Run the Fed defends title in Van Clief * The Racing Biz

Front Run the Fed defends title in Van Clief

Press Release
July 22, 2023

George Sharp’s Front Run the Fed successfully defended his title Saturday in the $150,000 Van Clief Stakes at Colonial Downs. The open sprint stakes — one of two on the card — was contested at 5½ furlongs over the Secretariat Turf Course.

Front Run the Fed ran a similar race to his come-from-behind head-victory in the 2022 Van Clief. The 7-year-old Fed Biz horse left from post two Saturday in a field of six. With David Cabrera in the irons, the winner trailed halfway through the race, got to within four lengths of front running Yes I Am Free at the top of the stretch, then split horses in the final strides to score his seventh career victory.

Front Run the Fed returned to New Kent fresh off a respectable eighth, beaten just four lengths, in the Grade 1 Jaipur. Last year, he finished three off the pace in the Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap and the Grade 2 Turf Sprint Stakes at Kentucky Downs.

“This was a tougher race this year than last year’s,” said trainer Caio Caramori. “I was pretty confident coming in. He was training well and I expected him to run well. He’s been in a lot tougher spots than this and he always seems to show up. I expected him to show up and the way he did it was so impressive. He came upon three horses with nowhere to go and he reacted the same way he did at Keeneland two starts ago — he got through. He loves adversity and loves being bumped around. That’s how he likes to run.”

Philip Gleaves, Joseph Straus Jr. and The Estate of Hugh Fitzsimons Jr.’s Yes and Yes finished second and William Branch’s Carotari was third.

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Angel Rodriguez’s Sassy Beast won the $150,000 filly and mare stakes counterpart Saturday, capturing the Andy Guest Stakes in gate-to-wire fashion. The 5-year-old daughter of The Big Best faced 10 other female sprinters and carried a two-length cushion into the head of the stretch. Larry Johnson’s Can’t Buy Love came charging four wide into the lane but her challenge from eighth came three-quarters of a length shy.

Front Run the Fed (inside) held off Yes and Yes (#4) to win the Van Clief. Photo by Coady Photography.

Jockey David Cardoso, who has ridden the mare in Louisiana and West Virginia, led the winning effort up top in his first appearance at Colonial. The mare has been a model of consistency throughout her career finishing out of the money just twice in 19 starts. Despite the impressive stats, she was making just her second start on turf and was sent off at odds of 14-1.

“I rode the horse at Evangeline a few starts ago and she was good,” said Cardoso, “But today she showed me everything she is capable of doing. She is a different horse on the turf. When I asked her for something, she gave me everything she had.”

M and W Stables’ Train to Artemus finished third. The 5-year-old Tapizar mare had won eight of her last 11 heading into the Andy Guest Stakes.

Colonial Downs has seven weeks remaining in its summer racing season. The meet continues every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 1:30 PM thru September 9.