Fort Marcy

Red Oak Stable's FOREVERNESS (Island Whirl) was sent off the 12-1

second-longest shot on the board in Saturday's $109,000

Fort

Marcy H. (G3) at Aqueduct, but the Gregory Sacco-trained gelding outran both

his odds and five rivals to take the 1 1/16-mile test by 4 1/2 lengths. With

Eibar Coa aboard, Foreverness stopped the clock in 1:42 4/5 over the firm turf

while paying $26, $10 and $4.40 to his faithful backers.

Ecclesiastic (Pulpit) wasn't the quickest from the gate, but still managed to

grab the lead and set the pace through :23 3/5, :49 and 1:13 3/5 fractions, all

the while tracked by Pa Pa Da (Incurable Optimist). Tiring going into the final

turn, he soon found Foreverness ranging up and couldn't hold on as the eventual

winner pulled off.

Pa Pa Da held for second by a head at 9-1 over the hard-charging Sabre d'Argent

(Kris S.), the 6-5 favorite, and gave back $9.20 and $5.20 while ending the $126

exacta. Sabre d'Argent had to overcome a tight start and came with a late run to

finish 1 1/2 lengths in front of fourth-place finisher Charimount (Charismatic).

Show was worth $2.50 and finished the $309.50 trifecta (1-2-3). Completing the

order under the wire were Ecclesiastic and Big Booster (Accelerator). Bailero

(Arg) (Roy), Bahama John (Saint Ballado), Happy Hunting (Seeking the Gold),

Kennel Up (Joyeux Danseur) and Watchmon (Maria's Mon) were all main-track only

entrants and scratched.

Foreverness earned his first stakes victory here, but also owns placings in

three other black-type events, including last year's Bob Harding S. He moved his

line to 22-5-4-4 with $278,898 in lifetime earnings with this one. The

seven-year-old chestnut is out of the winning Dearness (Affirmed) and counts

Grade 1-placed All the Boys (Foreign Survivor) as a half-brother.

Bred in New York by Harbor View Farm, Foreverness sold for $102,000 at the

2002 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic July sale.