Trainer Dale Romans looks to improve upon the considerable success he has enjoyed in turf races this season when he sends out Quick Wit in the $200,000 Hawthorne Derby (gr. IIIT) Oct. 13 at Hawthorne Race Course.
Quick Wit opened his career with six starts on dirt for owner Michael Bruder, showing class with a third-place finish in the Hutcheson Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park. Since an off-the-board finish in the April 28 Derby Trial Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill Downs, the focus for the Sharp Humor colt has been turf events. Romans, who has grade I victories on turf this season with Tapitsfly and Little Mike, has watched Sharp Wit register one win—in a June 21 Churchill allowance event—in four turf starts.
Quick Wit also picked up a victory when the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (gr. II) on Aug. 10 at Saratoga was taken off the turf and moved to the main track. The sophomore runner thrived on the sloppy surface, edging Csaba by a nose.
Another Hawthorne Derby starter who has been moved to turf in recent starts is grade III winner All Squared Away. Gracefield Breeders’ homebred Bellamy Road colt won this year’s Lexington Stakes (gr. III) at Keeneland and picked up an allowance-optional claiming victory on August 12 at Del Mar in his first career turf start. He enters off a seventh-place finish in the Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT) for trainer Peter Miller.
$200,000 Hawthorne Derby (gr. IIIT, Race 8, approximate post 4:50 p.m. CDT) 3yo, 1 1/8m (turf)
PP, Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Film Shot (KY), L Goncalves, 114, W I Mott
2. Finale (KY), C. DeCarlo, 118, T A Pletcher
3. All Stormy (KY), R. Homeister Jr., 114, G Geier
4. All Squared Away, C. Nakatani, 122, P Miller
5. Francois (KY), C. Emigh, 114, C Bettis
6. Two Months Rent (KY), J. Castanon, 114, J J Toner
7. Aldous Snow (ON), A. Solis, 114. M Pierce
8. Control Tower (KY), M. Mena, 114, W Catalano
9. North of Never (KY), E. Perez, 114, A Granitz
10. Lea (KY), R. Napravnik, 114, A Stall, Jr.
11. Pleasant Closing (KY), C. Roman, 114, M Duncan
12. Quick Wit (KY), F. Torres, 122, D L Romans
13. The Pizza Man (IL) (AE), S. Martinez, 118, R Brueggemann
14. Defiant Flyer (TX) (AE), F. Geroux, 120, L Davis