Favored Avie's Quality stalked and pounced in the $151,661 Display Stakes (VIDEO) at Woodbine Dec. 1, launching an impressive move to earn his first stakes score for trainer Josie Carroll and owner Ivan Dalos.
Fresh off a maiden victory, the juvenile son of Elusive Quality ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.25 while drawing off by 1 1/4 lengths over My Name Is Michael. The dark bay or brown colt improved his record from four starts to 2-1-1. Pacesetter Clearly Now finished four lengths farther back in third.
Avie's Quality was the only horse in the field of 10 to have previously won going two turns; he entered the Display off an emphatic five-length victory at the distance Nov. 14. Expertly ridden by leading jockey Luis Contreras, he raced sixth in the early going behind Clearly Now's quarter in :24.13 and half in :48.10, and was still sixth through three-quarters in 1:12.46. Closing three-wide late on the turn, he swept to the lead mid-stretch and was ridden out under steady handling on the all weather oval.
Avie's Quality paid $5.50, $3.40 and $2.60 while My Name Is Michael brought $7.60 and $5.40, and Clearly Now returned $2.10. Really Sharp, Mercenary, Gunderman, Bear Fabulous Son, Sky Commander, Hey You Pick Me, and Dan the Tin Man completed the order of finish.
Contreras, riding Avie's Quality for the first time, was pleased with the trip he engineered for Kentucky-bred gelding.
"We were in a great position, I had a perfect trip all the way, and kicked at the end," the jockey said. "I breezed him last time and he's a very nice horse."
It was the fifth stakes win at Woodbine this year for Carroll, who was not surprised by the strong showing from Avie's Quality.
"He's always shown himself to want to do something like this," Carroll remarked. "Certainly his pedigree has indicated this is what he would want to do."
Carroll is hopeful that Avie's Quality can continue his good form through the winter months.
"That will be up to Mr. Dalos, but I'd certainly think so," she said. "He's always been the class clown and he's just now starting to figure things out, so you would really like to continue forward."
Bred in Kentucky by Tall Oaks Farm and Darley out of the Lord Avie mare Fly for Avie, Avie's Quality was foaled and raised at Nick and Rosemary Lotz's Briarbrooke Farm in Bourbon County. The $35,000 2011 Keeneland September yearling sale purchase banked $90,000 for the victory, improving his career earnings to $141,700.
