Nearly replicating the tracking running style he used to win an allowance optional claiming race Nov. 17 at Gulfstream Park, Singanothersong nailed down his first career stakes win Dec. 28 at the Hallandale Beach, Fla. track.
With jockey Juan Leyva again showing the way, third choice Singanothersong tracked early leader Star Harbour before surging past the 6-5 favorite in the lane on his way to a 1 3/4-length victory in the $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes (gr. III) (VIDEO).
Herman Van Den Broeck's Singanothersong completed the six-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up in 1:09.92 on a good track to post his fourth career win and boost his earnings to $198,935. A Kentucky-bred 3-year-old son of Songandaprayer , Singanothersong had placed in three of his five previous stakes efforts, including a runner-up finish to Clearly Now in last March's Swale Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream.
In Saturday's race, Singanothersong tracked Star Harbour through a quarter-mile in :22.36 and half-mile in :44.75. Those two opened up 4 1/2 lengths on the field before Singanothersong delivered his winning move. Trained by Ronald Pellegrini, Singanothersong delivered a similar move Nov. 17 at Gulfstream when he tracked Dreaming of Neno early before drawing off in the stretch for a 3 3/4-length score.
"We thought (Star Harbour) would be on the lead and we thought we'd just lay off him," said Pellegrini, who secured the first graded stakes win of his career. "We thought (Singanothersong) could take the lead anytime he wanted, and we were pretty confident he would win. It was harder for other people to realize it than us. This is a pretty nice horse.
"The track wasn't playing that fast all day. It looked like he had a lot left, and Juan (Leyva) said he had a lot more if he wanted it. This horse is pretty fast. We've worked very hard getting him to rate. Like I told my owner, I said, 'if I can teach this horse how to rate, believe me, we're going to have a lot nicer horse than you ever thought we did.' When he came back this year after a knee operation, he's run three bang-up races in a row."
Sent off at 4-1, Singanothersong returned $10.80 to win, $4.80 to place, and $3.60 to show. Fort Loudon charged past Star Harbour in the stretch to pick up second by one length while never threatening the winner. He returned $9.20 to place and $5 to show. The favorite held third and paid $2.80 to show.
Rounding out the eight-horse field were Black Diamond Cat, Travelin Man, Apriority, Trinni Heart, and Upgrade.
Singanothersong is the first stakes winner for the stakes-placed Cactus Ridge mare Mims Eppi, who has produced two winners from as many starters.
