Cash Counter Stables’ undefeated Everyday Heroes returned from a brief vacation May 16 and picked up where he left off—a race ending in the winner’s circle.
Everyday Heroes, trained by Tim Ritchey and ridden by Jose Caraballo, rated just off a disputed pace and powered away to easily take the $100,000 Hirsch Jacobs Stakes (gr. III) (VIDEO) for 3-year-olds at six furlongs at Pimlico Race Course. Everyday Heroes had won the first three starts of his career at Oaklawn Park earlier this year.
The Hirsch Jacobs featured a battle between Nuclear Wayne and Yano, who fought through fractions of :22.71 for the first quarter-mile and :44.96 for a half-mile on a fast track. Caraballo placed Everyday Heroes, who was steadied soon after the start when in tight, about a length behind the leading duo heading into the far turn. Caraballo took the colt three-wide to challenge on the turn.
Everyday Heroes took over heading for home and drew away to win by 3 3/4 lengths in 1:09.51 while drifting out badly in the final sixteenth of a mile.
"At the middle of the turn, I tapped him on the shoulder and he shook loose," Caraballo said. "He started goofing around, looking around and waiting for other horses to come at him. I wasn’t going to fight him the last eighth of a mile."
Not For Silver, ridden by Julian Pimentel, rallied for second by 1 1/2 lengths, with Checklist and Edgar Prado third. Favored Taqarub chased the pace from the rail and faded to sixth.
Everyday Heroes paid $16.40 to win, $8.40 to place, and $5.60 to show. Not For Silver returned $6.40 and $4.20, while Checklist was worth $6 to show.
Nuclear Wayne finished fourth, followed by Ju Jitsu Jax, Taqarub, Tano, Despite the Odds, and Essenceofthemoon.
Kentucky-bred by Marathon Farms, Everyday Heroes, by Awesome Again out of the Dayjur mare Lucette, raced through his conditions at Oaklawn. He won a maiden special weight event, a non-winners of two lifetime allowance test, and a non-winners of three lifetime allowance race. He did so racing on or just off the lead.
Everyday Heroes, who last raced at Oaklawn March 29, has been based at Delaware Park, where he fired off a bullet five-furlong work May 9 in preparation for the Hirsch Jacobs. The bay colt earned $60,000 for the victory, nearly doubling his career total to $124,800 in four starts.
“This horse is undefeated and we knew we had a good horse when he beat older horses twice earlier this year at Oaklawn Park," said Ritchey, who won with the only starter he had on the Preakness day card. "They were nice older horses, and that’s a 3-year-old. He really impressed us. He has tons of ability, but we may need to keep him focused a little more during his races. He had a few problems in the stretch today with the crowd and the noise.”