Preferred Pals Stable’s SORT IT OUT (Out of Place) rallied into contention
leaving the far turn, reached the lead in midstretch and dug in gamely to
withstand the late run of runner-up Naughty New Yorker (Quiet American) for a
neck decision in Saturday’s $84,150
Whirlaway S. at Aqueduct. Trained by Allen Iwinski, the sophomore colt earned his first stakes win and returned $41.40,
$14.60 and $18.40 at nearly 20-1 with Tim Thornton in the saddle.
Galloping Grocer (A. P Jet), who was favored at 3-5, sprinted to the lead
after the break and set contested fractions of :23 1/5, :46 3/5 and 1:11 1/5.
The pacesetter turned for home with the lead, but he eventually weakened down
the stretch. Sort It Out and Scrappy T (Fit to Fight) were the first to collar
the prohibitive favorite, and Naughty New Yorker, who was off as the 7-2 second
choice, appeared to have the front runners measured on the far outside. However,
Sort It Out found more once he reached the front and was able to prove best to
the wire, completing 1 1/16 miles over the fast inner track in 1:43 1/5.
Scrappy T came next across the wire, 1 1/4 lengths behind the runner-up at
11-1, and Galloping Grocer finished another neck back in fourth. Rounding out
the order of finish were Middle Earth (Dixieland Band), Tani Maru (Cherokee
Run), Daddy Joe (Unbridled’s Song), Lieutenant Danz (Gold Fever), Diamond
Wildcat (Forest Wildcat) and Thievery (Cat Thief).
Bred in New York by Thomas/Lakin, Sort It Out recorded his third straight
victory and improved his lifetime mark to 9-4-1-0 with $152,375 in earnings. The
chestnut finished second in his only other stakes attempt, the Damon Runyon
S. against fellow state-breds, and stepped up to defeat open rivals on Saturday.
He’s out of the winning Kris S. mare Vex, who has also produced a juvenile filly
named Strong Presence (Freud) and a yearling filly by Precise End.
Sort It Out wasn’t nominated to the Triple Crown, but his connections said
following the Whirlaway that they would consider paying the late nomination fee.