Veteran Rahy's Attorney Takes Pan American

Rahy's Attorney, narrowly beaten by Prince Will I Am last out, turned the tables on his rival with an upset victory in the $150,000 Pan American Stakes (gr. IIIT) March 26 at Gulfstream Park (VIDEO).

The 7-year-old gelded son of Crown Attorney scored for the 13^th time and notched his fifth lifetime graded stakes win with his three-quarters-length triumph over Musketier . Prince Will I Am, who defeated Rahy’s Attorney by a half length in the Feb. 19 Mac Diarmida (gr. IIT), settled for third this time in a tight finish.

An Ontario homebred of Ellie Boje Farm, Rahy’s Attorney has now earned $1,957,090 from his 37 starts. Trained by Ian Black, he is out of the Rahy mare Rahy’s Hope.

Breaking cleanly from the gate, Emma-Jayne Wilson rated Rahy’s Attorney off the pacesetter Beckham Bend. Those two opened up five lengths on the rest of the field while Beckham Bend was pressed by the winner through fractions of :24.41, :48.12, 1:12.12, and 1:37.17. Around the final turn, Rahy’s Attorney took the lead and then held off Musketier down the stretch.

The final time for 1 1/2 miles on the firm turf course was 2:25.85.

“I’ve watched this horse run many times at Woodbine and was very confident in him today,” Wilson said. “One thing Ian Black told me that was really profound to me was he said ‘Rahy runs the entire stretch at Woodbine.’ That’s a three-eighths-mile stretch. I knew the horses were going to have to do some running to get by us and they didn’t.”

Rahy’s Attorney is also owned in part by Read Peters, and Jean and Jim MacLellan.

“He’s been a good horse at middle distances throughout his career, including a grade I win at Woodbine (Woodbine Mile in 2008),” Black said. “He’s seven years old and we thought we’d try him in the longer races this season.

“He’ll spend the spring at Keeneland. I don’t know whether we’ll run him in that race at the end of the meet (Sycamore Stakes), but there will be plenty of opportunities for him up north during the season (Woodbine).”

Sent off as the third choice in a field of seven, the winner paid $12.60, $4.80, and $3. The exacta (5-2) returned $39.20. The trifecta (5-2-7) with even-money favorite Prince Will I Am in third was worth $39.40 for $1.