(from Aqueduct report)
Laus Deo made the lead soon after the start and never looked back in winning the $65,000 Count Fleet for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct Racetrack Jan. 2 (VIDEO).
Breaking from the rail for David Cohen, Fox Hill Farm’s Laus Deo set comfortable early fractions of :24.30 and :49.48 seconds while being tracked by odds-on favorite Ibboyee. As the field entered the far turn, Laus Deo opened up a clear advantage and was never seriously challenged through the stretch en route to a three-quarters of a length win over Worth a Buck.
It was another half-length back to Turbo Speed in third. Ibboyee, sent off at odds of 2-5, finished fourth.
Laus Deo completed the one mile and 70 yards in 1:44.91 over the fast inner track.
“The horse was very prepared,” said Cohen of the Medaglia d'Oro colt. “I just let him take me out of the gate. He’s got a big, long stride, obviously – he’s a huge horse. He relaxed well for me, and every time they came to him he’d give me more, without me having to ask.”
Trained by Anthony Dutrow, who watched the race on television from Florida, Laus Deo entered the Count Fleet off a maiden victory at Philadelphia Park.
“I think it’s pretty obvious he’s still learning,” Dutrow said by telephone after the race. “He got away on the lead without anyone contesting him and that was a big break. Big picture, I think it was a good win because he is still learning. I’ll have to get together with Rick Porter (of Fox Hill Farms) to figure out what’s next. I know New York has a great series of races for three-year-olds so we have that as an option.”
The next two-turn race for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct is the $100,000 Whirlaway on Feb. 6 at 1 1/16 miles.
As the third choice is the field, Laus Deo paid $22.80 $22.80, $10 and $7.40. Worth a Buck returned $13 and $12. Turbo Speed paid $6 to show.
The $39,000 winning purse more than doubled Laus Deo's career earnings to $75,340. JS McDonald bred the bay colt in Kentucky. Out of the Alysheba mare Shebane, he sold for $140,000 at Keeneland's September 2008 yearling sale.
