Will Take It finished third in the five-horse field over the first six furlongs of the race, on the rail about a length and a half behind the front runners. Houthof and pace chasing Speed king the 3-5 favorite. Blocked until he exited the second turn, he found the needed daylight at the start of the roadway. He then engaged Woodcourt and eventually won with a head after a lengthy duel.
Woodcourt finished second American law rallied on the outside to move up for third place. Speed king came fourth, and Thought that counts came fifth.
The top two finishers traded bumps along the way. A claim of foul by Manny Esquivel aboard Woodcourt for interference was disallowed by the track stewards and the results stood.
Will Take It, a 5 year old Carpet horse owned by Willis Horton Racing and breeder Whisper Hill Farm, won in a finishing time of 1:38.13, paying $11.80 for a $2 win bet. The splits of the race set by Woodcourt were: 24.08, :47.77 and 1:11.79. Will Take It won for the sixth time in 22 starts.
“He showed up big,” coach Dallas Stewart said during an internal interview. “This horse has trained great and we are happy to bring him here.”
Video: Fifth season S. (BT)
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