Weigh the Risks, NYRA Photo
Maria Eddy
Klaravich Stables’ Weigh the risks made easy work of four rivals with a dominant 9 3/4-length victory in Saturday’s $150,000 Go for Wand, a one-turn mile for fillies and mares 3 years and older, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by five-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown, the four-year-old daughter of Mendelssohn doubled the local stakes scores after winning the Listed Pumpkin Pie on Nov. 8 by sprinting seven furlongs, bringing her win streak to three. She made six of her first seven appearances on the grass, but has won five of six starts since making the switch to dirt.
Weigh the risks came out of post 2 of 5 under regular pilot Manny Franco and headed along with Stonewall star to her outside before putting a half-length between her rival and showing the way through the first quarter-mile in 23.82 seconds over the fast foot.
“The other speed was beyond me, but ‘Plan A’ was to let her lead and let the other guys sit,” Franco said. “She was so comfortable on the leash with her ears perked up, so I felt confident in the way she was traveling.”
A tightly packed field raced behind Weigh the Risks along the back stretch before pushing Stonewall Star through the half mile in 47.88, closing in as Franco sat chillly aboard the pacer approaching the turn.
Stonewall Star was fully in the corner, but spun her wheels as Weigh the Risks increased her margin by three-quarters in 1:12.33. The Kendrick Carmouche piloted Scalablewho was last in the half mile, made a mild bid on the inside but was no match for Weigh the Risks as she galloped around the track and accelerated over the wire in a final time of 1:37.64.
Scalable, second with a two-length lead Just Katherine of Zadorsky and Stonewall Star complete the order of finish. Tipple was scratched.
The victory extended Franco’s total of victories this year at The New York Racing Association, Inc. circuit. (NYRA) at 199. A short time later, a win in Race 8 at the Big A aboard Collect the Data for the same connections brought his total to 200, a 28-win lead over Kendrick Carmouche in the annual standings.
“It means a lot. You have to be consistent because that’s the way they put you on live horses day in and day out,” Franco said. “I work hard and my agent, John Panagot, does a great job, so I have to give him a lot of credit.”
Carmouche, who has 172 NYRA wins this year, said the Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher-trained Scalable did her best against a talented winner.
“She ran well. Just second best,” Carmouche said. “That’s the only way to say it. The winner is a beast of a horse.”
Bred in Kentucky by Porta Pia Stables, Weigh the Risks was a $205,000 purchase at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. She earned $82,500 and improved her lifetime record to 13-6-2-0 while returning $3.34 as the 3-5 post-time favorite.
Live racing resumes on Sunday at the Big A with an eight-race card. First post is 12:40 Eastern.
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