Yonkers Raceway Stalwart Foiled Again Achieves Career Win No. 100 at Harrah’s Philly
The 14-year-old “Wonder Horse” Foiled Again finally reached the elusive 100 career win plateau on Sunday, July 8, but it was not on his home stomping grounds at Yonkers Raceway. The milestone came at Harrah’s Philly just a stone’s throw down the turnpike 103-miles south.
He won his 100th in dominating fashion with a wire-to-wire victory. And it came in the knick of time as well, as this is his final campaign.
His 100th career win may have come in Philly, but the accomplishment was duly noted Sunday night in New York City. WCBS-TV (Channel 2) sports anchor Steve Overmyer aired the late-stretch drive of Foiled Again’s historic win during the 11 PM newscast. Overmyer had visited Yonkers Raceway earlier in 2018 to chronicle the sport’s richest-ever performer’s quest for Century City and subsequently became a ‘Foiled fan,’ dutifully checking the entries and results while keeping tabs. appreciate Overrmyer’s continued interest in the story. The segment can be viewed here newyork.cbslocal.com/video/ (if not the first video, just search previous ones).
Foiled Again had previously missed out on win 100 all the way back in March in his fifth attempt.The robust gelding was reunited with Yannick Gingras for that race. Gingras has been the “go-to” pilot of Foiled Again’s at Empire City Casino’s historic half mile oval. Check this out: in 42 Yonkers starts with Gingras in the sulky, Foiled Again has been to the winner’s circle on 19 occasions, with six second place finishes and six-times in the show column, good for $1,129,640 in earnings. To say that the two get along is an understatement of giant proportions.
Unfortunately, history did not repeat itself at Empire City, as Foiled Again instead finished fifth after bobbling at the start.
However, Gingras was once again in the sulky for redemption and the 100th win on Sunday.
Harness racing’s richest-ever horse had a $7,572,178 career bankroll prior to the milestone.
Win no. 99 came on January 13 in Foiled Again’s season debut, a half-length score with George Brennan driving. The triumph was timed in 1:55 at the same non-winners $20,000 in last five starts level. Since then, Foiled Again had been foiled in five attempts at his 100th career win.
He came close on February 1, carving out all the fractions but coming up a nose and a head short to just miss in a blanket photo in a typical fight-to-the-finish effort.
“I came here to win with him,” Gingras said after that race. “I wanted to leave. I wasn’t going to race him from third–over.”
Talk about a “horse for course!” Foiled Again, dubbed “The Gremlin” by caretaker Sarah Murphy, has 34 wins, 12 seconds, and seven third places in 74 starts at Yonkers. That’s a plus-.480 “batting average” (win percentage), more than 1/3rd of his career victories, and 74 percent “in the money” finishes! Wow!
According to the United States Trotting Association, Foiled Again is now the 18th standardbred (in what might be described as modern era mid-seventies through today) to reach the coveted 100-win milestone, joining most notably the revered Rambling Willie, who paced to 111 victories during a storied career from 1976 through 1983. Heisman (134 wins/1978-89) is another familiar name in the “100 Win Club.”
For the full list visit: http://www.ustrotting.com/trac
The wily veteran is co-owned by trainer Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi and JJK Stables.
Foiled Again, who’s been winning races at Yonkers since 2006, includes a pair of George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series titles (2009-10) on his robust resume. The $500,000 Breeders Crown Open Pace at Pocono Downs in 2013 is another stakes victory on his resume.
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