Iowa Derby Winning Number for Touch Tone

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Release from Prairie Meadows
"You don't ever think that you will beat them like that. That's just icing on the cake," said winning trainer Ronnie Werner at Prairie Meadows on Friday evening just moments after his trainee, Touch Tone, won the third running of the Iowa Derby for owner Tom R. Durant.

Ridden in the Iowa Derby by Robby Albarado, Touch Tone was the sixth horse to leave the starting gate, on the attack in 23 seconds for the first quarter-mile. The Jerry Hollendorfer-trainee Sirpa traveled one and a half-lengths back followed by the Ackerley Brothers-charge Compendium, trained by Steve Asmussen. Drewman, the Unbridled-son owned by the Family of Frances Genter Williams, followed fourth from the lead in the field of seven.

Maintaining a steady pace, Touch Tone set down half-mile fractions of 46 seconds heading into the far turn. With five lengths distancing Compendium from the remainder of the field, Compendium made his move, closing in by a half-length off Touch Tone. Albarado summoned his mount and he responded to a five-length advantage going into the stretch, leading at the wire by more than seven lengths in front of the D. Wayne Lukas-trainee Buckle Down Ben. The mile and a sixteenth running time of one minute, 42-3/5 seconds in the $250,000 purse was less than a half-second shy of Captain Steve's performance in last year's Iowa Derby.

Werner said he and jockey Albarado had not planned for the horse to take the lead so early in the race. "Robby did a good job on the front end," said Werner. "He didn't go that fast. I loped him yesterday and he was really full of himself. He was a little more on the prod for this race. It was a tough field.

"We keep trying to step up that ladder and, hopefully, he keeps stepping up," continued Werner. "I was very pleased and we knew this would be another test for him. I had a lot of confidence in him, as far as the distance. He's always been like a 'push-button.' He will settle in and do what you want him to do. I felt good about him from that standpoint, but you don't know until you get out there."

"I think he's still got the mentality of a sprinter right now," said Albarado. "It will take him a couple of races to instill those route-turns in him. Coming here today, he was just really a tight horse. That means a lot, as lightly raced as he is. Most of those horses [in the Iowa Derby] have been around two turns, especially Drewman. He's a really nice horse. I've ridden against him every time he's run. His last route race was very impressive. It was a good bunch."

Werner has not decided where he will point the horse next. "We'll have to take a look at that. I want to see what he did here, and then we'll look forward. It's kind of like pro players; they look at this game, not the next one."

Touch Tone has purse earnings totaling $252,850, represented by three wins and one finish on the board in four starts. Sandra Ezell bred the horse in Florida. Super Seniorita is Touch Tone's dam (by El Baba).

The $2 wager on Touch Tone returned $5.40. Order of finish: Touch Tone, Buckle Down Ben, Drewman, Compendium, Solingen, Who Devil Who, Sirpa.

In the Iowa Distaff for fillies and mares, Pat Day posted his second win of the Festival of Racing aboard the B. Watts Humphrey five-year-old Royal Fair. The horse put away competitor Please Sign In by one and a quarter-lengths in a mile and a sixteenth finishing time of one minutes, 42-2/5 seconds. The effort was one-fifth of a second better than the time set earlier in the evening by Touch Tone in Race 3's Iowa Derby and more than one full second faster than the time set in last year's Iowa Distaff by Ruby Surprise, in 1:43-4/5.

George R. Arnold, III trains Royal Fare, the progeny of Deputy Minister-Barkerville Belle (by Ruthie's Native).

In her previous races, Royal Fair has 11 second-place finishes. George Arnold's assistant trainer, Christina Mauro, saddled the horse for the race and attributes that record to a bit of hard luck. "About her finishing second so many times," said Mauro, "I think she's just been unlucky. I don't think it's that she wasn't giving one hundred percent [in those races]."

"Today was her day, obviously," said Day. "She was drawing away at the end. It was a very professional effort."

Eventually, owner G. Watts Humphrey has plans to make Royal Fair a broodmare, reports assistant trainer Christina Mauro. "He sells all his colts and fillies to breed," she said. "With her pedigree, she'll be worth keeping around." John Franks and Jonabell Farm, Inc. are the horse's breeders.

In 20 starts, Royal Fair's earnings are $363,370 from four wins and 13 finishes in the money. That figure includes $75,000 for her winning connections in the $125,000 purse.

The $2 wager on Royal Fair returned $3.20. Order of finish: Royal Fair, Please Sign In, Frankly My Dear, Rodeo Fan, Due to Win, Sibling Song.

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