OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The last time he raced, in January, Whatchatalkinabout won in a rout. Saturday, he showed he could prevail in a fight as well.
Finding himself sparring between rivals in the stretch, Whatchatalkinabout outfought Silver Slugger and Surveillance to win Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 John Nerud Stakes at Aqueduct by a head. Silver Slugger, who was part of the pace from the outset under Junior Alvarado, finished second by a neck over Surveillance.
It was 2 1/4 lengths back to Full Moon Madness, who was 7 3/4 lengths in front of O’Conner Sunset. Anarchist, the second choice at 2-1, was pulled up a quarter-mile into the race by jockey Joel Rosario. Anarchist had a splint put on his right foreleg and was assisted onto the equine ambulance.
Whatchatalkinabout, a 4-year-old New York-bred son of Dialed In, was making his first start since he won a New York-bred allowance in January by eight lengths. He was scratched from the Grade 3 Commonwealth at Keeneland when he unseated jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. reacting to another horse acting up at the gate.
Ortiz was back aboard Saturday. He thought he would be sitting third early on, but when Whatchatalkinabout broke so well, Ortiz found himself glued to Silver Slugger. The two went a quarter in 21.89 seconds and a half in 44.84. Turning for home they were joined by Surveillance, and they raced three-abreast though the lane.
Ortiz’s first thought was Surveillance was the main danger. Then he saw Silver Slugger battling back. Ortiz made sure Whatchatalkinabout saw both horses.
“He felt the outside horse, he fight with him, I see the inside horse come back, I went in and he fought with him too,” Ortiz said. “He won honest. He fights. I like him. He’s got heart.”
Wesley Ward, who watched the race from Kentucky, was impressed with the determination Whatchatalkinabout showed.
“To be in the middle of those two and for him to gut through it really showed something,” Ward told NYRA publicity.
Alvarado said since Silver Slugger had the rail, he had to use his speed. He felt his horse was “unlucky in the end but my horse tried very hard.”
Whatchatalkinabout, a gelding owned by Ice Wine Stable, covered the six furlongs in 1:09.03 (94 Beyer Speed Figure) and returned $4.
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