Shaun Bridgmohan and Chris Block, who teamed up to win the Clark Handicap (gr. I) last week in Kentucky, took their winning act to Florida in the $100,000 My Charmer Handicap (gr. IIIT) (VIDEO), as Askbut I Won'ttell ran down pacesetter Trip for A. J. in the final yards Dec. 4 at Calder Casino & Race Course.
Trip for A. J. led nearly all the way under John Velazquez and was still going well in deep stretch of the 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares. But Askbut I Won’ttell, who was in eighth after six furlongs and was swung wide for her entry into the lane, charged down the middle of the racetrack. She nailed her rival by three-quarters of a length to earn her second graded stakes win in a row.
Askbut I Won’ttell is a 4-year-old filly owned by Team Block and Rich Ege. The daughter of Horse Chestnut was bred in Florida by Hidden Point Farm and Hal Queen Farm. She entered the race off a 1 1/4-length score in the Nov. 7 Cardinal Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs, which was her first graded stakes win.
Trip for A. J., who set fractions of :24.64, :49.42, and 1:12.40, settled for runner-up, 1 1/2 lengths in front of third-place Evading Tempete, who was making her United States debut under Pablo Fragoso. Miss World was fourth in a field of 12.
The final time over the firm turf course was 1:47.91.
“Last time I rode this filly, we sat a little closer to the pace, but since we had an outside post today, I wanted to take her back a bit more so that by the time we reached the turn, I wouldn’t have any problem tucking in to save some ground," Bridgmohan said. "She is a very easy filly to ride, so I’m able to put her anywhere in the race I want her. It worked out perfectly and she was rolling through the stretch once I asked her to go on with it.”
Askbut I Won’ttell won for the fourth time in 10 starts this season while making her Calder debut. Overall, it was her sixth victory in 16 lifetime starts and she increased her eanings to $320,132. The chestnut filly is out of the Green Dancer mare Silver Dollar Kate.
“We bought her privately after she broke her maiden at Gulfstream Park (Jan. 11, 2009)," said co-owner David Block, the father of trainer Chris Block. "She didn’t run much as a 3-year-old because we had a chip taken out of her ankle. She’s had a good year for us now winning back-to-back (graded) stakes. She’ll stay in training next year and will go to Gulfstream now."
Sent off as the fourth choice, Askbut I Won’ttell paid $15.80, $7, and $4.40. The exacta (10-2) returned $95.80 and the trifecta (10-2-4) was worth $1,200.80.
Cherokee Queen was fifth, followed by You Go West Girl, 8-5 favorite Mary's Follies, Akilina, Paracaidas, Gold d'Oro, The Niagara Queen, and Volver.