Bushwood Stable’s BETTER TALK NOW (Talkin Man) started off his six-year-old
season in style on Saturday, taking the $107,400
Fort Marcy H. (G3) at Aqueduct
under jockey Ramon Dominguez. Trained by H. Graham Motion, the bay gelding
tracked along the rail as Chilly Rooster (Arch) went the first
quarter in :24 3/5. The leader was pressured by Remind (Deputy Minister) from
the start and yielded to that rival by the time a half had been run in :48 4/5.
Remind continued to lead the field through fractions of 1:12 2/5 and 1:36 2/5,
but suddenly found Better Talk Now to his outside as Dominguez guided the
eventual winner off the rail and around the pacesetter to post a neck victory at
the wire. Sent off the 4-5 favorite, Better Talk Now stopped the clock in 1:42
3/5 on the good track and paid $3.60, $2.70 and $2.30.
Remind held second by 1 1/2 lengths as the 7-2 third choice and returned
$3.50 and $2.70 while ending the $11 exacta. Ecclesiastic (Pulpit) rounded out
the top three and the $42.80 trifecta (2-3-4) at 12-1, returning $3. Chilly
Rooster finished another 1 1/2 lengths farther back in fourth while L’oiseau
D’argent (Silver Hawk) completed the order of finish. Say Cousin Lenny (Smart
Strike) was scratched while Aggadan (Carnivalay), Thunder Touch (Gulch), Bahama
John (Saint Ballado), Chowder’s First (Let Goodtimes Roll) and Bailero (Arg)
(Roy) were all listed as main-track only entrants.
Better Talk Now scored in the Sword Dancer Invitational H. (G1) last year,
then captured the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) prior to finishing out his 2004 season
with a close sixth in the Hollywood Turf Cup (G1). He also owns wins in the
Knickerbocker H. (G2) and Eight Thirty S., as well as four black-type placings, and
improved his record to 26-9-5-2 with $1,810,077 in earnings.
Bred in Kentucky by Wimborne Farm Inc., Better Talk Now is out of the
stakes-placed Bendita (Baldski) and counts as half-siblings stakes winner B. A.
Way (Lasting Approval), an unraced four-year-old filly named Be So Nice (Gold
Tribute) and a yearling colt named Better Be Ready (More than Ready).
Motion said Better Talk Now would now point toward for the May 21 Dixie S.
(G2) at Pimlico on the Preakness S. (G1) undercard.