By
Ken Weingartner, for Breeders Crown
ANDERSON,
Ind. – Stay Hungry charged off the final turn to overtake Western Passage and
then held off Shnitzledosomethin by a neck to win Saturday
night’s $600,000 Breeders Crown for 2-year-old male pacers in 1:50.4 at
Hoosier Park. Closing Statement was third.
Shnitzledosomethin,
Karpathian Kid and Western Pleasure all spent time in front during the first
three-quarters of the race, with the quarter in :26.1, half in :54.3 and
three-quarters in 1:22.3.
Stay
Hungry was sixth up the backstretch and three wide coming off the final turn.
Doug
McNair guided Stay Hungry to victory and earned his first Breeders Crown win.
It was the third trophy for trainer Tony Alagna.
“It
worked out but I moved him pretty early down the backstretch,” said McNair.
“This track with the long stretch, it worked out pretty good. This colt, I
moved him, and he knew what to do and he raced awesome. It’s exciting. I think
I’ve driven in five or six of these Breeders Crowns and never won, so it’s a
big thrill for me.”
Stay
Hungry has won six of eight races and earned $437,964 for owners Brad Grant and
Irwin Samelman. It was the first Breeders Crown win for both.
“At
the head of the lane I was a little worried having to go three wide,” said
Grant. “But he’s showed up every race for us this year. Dougie gave us a great
drive.
“We
were confident. Tony and I talk a lot and we were very confident with the colt
and believed he deserved to be here and could get it done and he did. It’s
rewarding. My dad won this with Bettor’s Delight and to win it tonight means
a lot.”
Stay
Hungry is a son of Somebeachsomewhere out of the mare My Little Dragon, who was
a three-time Breeders Crown champion. The colt was bred by AV & Son
Bloodstock.
Sent
off at odds of 9-2, Stay Hungry paid $11.00 to win.
Favorite
Lost In Time was sixth-placed-fifth because of interference.
