Tom Morley was relieved, though not surprised, that One Nine Hundred ran as well as he did winning a second-level allowance race at Aqueduct on Friday. Though not one who likes to announce plans too far out, Morley said One Nine Hundred is likely to run in the Grade 3, $175,000 Tom Fool Stakes at Aqueduct on Feb. 28.
“The race towards the end of February for older dirt sprinters is certainly on the radar and is logically where we’ll go next,” Morley said Sunday.
One Nine Hundred won a first-level allowance at Saratoga in July, but he didn’t like the way the horse was doing out of the race so he convinced the owners, Adelphi Racing, Steve Rocco and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, to give him time off.
One Nine Hundred returned to the races on Nov. 20 and finished third in this same condition at Churchill Downs. That came back as a fast race, and One Nine Hundred was moving forward in his training coming out of the race to give Morley confidence heading into Friday’s race.
One Nine Hundred, under Jose Lezcano, dueled outside of Vettriano, put him away and drew off to win by 4 3/4 lengths. He ran six furlongs in 1:09.84 and earned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure.
“I would be lying if I told you the performance surprised me,” Morley said. “His works were of a horse that took a huge step forward from his first run off a layoff. Until you see them do it in the afternoon, you’re just hoping what you see in the morning comes to fruition in the afternoon. He had been giving all the indications there was a monster performance coming up.”
Morley liked the way One Nine Hundred settled off the speedy Vettriano in that race and then ran away from him in the lane.
“The thing that pleased me the most on Friday was the way he ran through the wire,” Morley said. “Last year, he would have won that race by one or two lengths, getting a little leg weary towards the end of the race. With maturity has come strength that made me and Jose think seven furlongs isn’t out of the question down the line, whereas last year six furlongs was definitely his limit.”
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