OKLAHOMA CITY – Pursue A Dream took advantage of his rail post position, going to the front of the field a few strides from the start of Labor Day’s $125,000 Edward J. DeBartolo Memorial Breeders’ Cup at Remington Park. He took the lead and was never headed by any of his eight rivals, leading every step in winning the 1-1/8 miles turf event.
Owned by Emerald Bay Stables of Minneapolis, Minn. and trained by Mich
ael Biehler of Jones, Okla., jockey Bobby Walker, Jr. guided Pursue A Dream through easy fractions of :24.49 for the opening quarter-mile, :49.37 for the half mile, 1:13.49 after three quarters of a mile and 1:37.29 for the mile. The veteran rider had plenty left in the stretch to fend off a late challenge by Heza Wild Guy to win by a half-length.
Quite A Handful was another half-length behind the top pair in third while the filly Peach Brew made a wide rally into fourth. While Pursue A Dream went to a lead he would never give up, it wasn’t exactly what Walker wanted to do concerning his strategy going into the DeBartolo. “I wanted to be close, not necessarily on the lead,” Walker said. “I rode him a little aggressively so I could at least have a position. I wound up on the lead and that’s how it worked out.”
Pursue A Dream was 6-1 in the wagering and paid $14 to win, $7.80 to place and $4.20 to show. Heza Wild Guy paid $9.60 to place and $4.40 to show in finishing in the money of the DeBartolo for the second straight year, after running third in 2009. Quite A Handful was made the 9-5 wagering favorite, off his ninth-place performance in the Grade 1, $1 million Arlington Million last month. He paid $3.40 to show for his third-place effort.
Pursue A Dream is a 5-year-old gelding by Macho Uno from the Kitwood mare Kitty On the Track, bred in Kentucky by Adena Springs. He won for the seventh time in 37 career starts and for the fifth time at Remington Park. The DeBartolo winner’s share of $75,000 moves the lifetime bankroll for Pursue A Dream to $280,336. This was the first win in the DeBartolo for all of the connections of Pursue A Dream. The race is named in honor of the late founder of Remington Park who passed in 1994.
Pursue A Dream is being pointed to The Remington Green Stakes on October 10th, a race in which he finished fourth last year.
