Gone Astray gets his act together in Penn Derby

Last updated: 9/7/09 9:06 PM

Gone Astray made a monster move reminiscent of his second dam Inside Information
(Alyssa Spakowski/Equi-Photo)

At this time one year ago, Phipps Stable’s homebred GONE ASTRAY (Dixie Union)
looked like a juvenile who was going places after a smart maiden win at
Saratoga. Fast forward 12 months, and the Shug McGaughey pupil had yet to follow
through on his early reputation. That slightly disappointing verdict was
overturned in eye-popping fashion, however, in Monday’s $1 million

Pennsylvania Derby (G2), where the royally-bred colt slammed the field by 9
1/4 lengths. Confidently handled by Eddie Castro, Gone Astray was long gone as
he posted a final time of 1:48 1/5 for 1 1/8 miles on the fast track.

When the gate opened, the speedy Our Edge (The Cliff’s Edge) went to the
early lead and clicked off fractions of :23 4/5, :47 3/5 and 1:11 2/5. Join in
the Dance (Sky Mesa) prompted the pace in second, while Gone Astray settled just
about in midpack.

The top two maintained their respective positions until leaving the far turn,
when Gone Astray cruised up to challenge. No sooner had he galloped up on the
bridle than Gone Astray rapidly burst to the front. In a matter of strides, the
dark bay opened up a commanding lead and continued to lord it over his rivals
all the way to the line. Gone Astray, the co-third choice at 9-2, made his odds
appear overly generous as he paid $11.40, $6.40 and $4.40.

“I wasn’t thrilled with our position early on,” McGaughey said. “We were kind
of in behind some other horses, and Our Edge was going pretty slow up front.

“I’m tickled to death,” the trainer continued. “He’d been training real well
and came into the race in great shape, but he’d never shown that he’d been able
to win a race like this yet.”

The 5-1 Join in the Dance kept on to finish a clear second by two lengths,
returning $6 and $3.40. Kelly Leak (Runaway Groom) closed mildly for third and
yielded $3.40 as the 3-1 second choice. The 2-1 favorite, Duke of Mischief
(Graeme Hall), endured a tough trip and wound up another 4 1/4 lengths back in
fourth. The exotics totaled $63 (exacta), $238 (trifecta) and $609.40 (7-1-3-4
superfecta). Bunker Hill (Trippi) came in fifth, followed by Our Edge, Denver (Fusaichi
Pegasus) and Endymion (Tapit). Soul Warrior (Lion Heart) was scratched.

Gone Astray spread-eagled the field
(Bill Denver/Equi-Photo)

With the $600,000 payday, Gone Astray increased his earnings to
$764,657 while improving his mark to 11-3-3-2. Fifth in the Futurity S.
(G2) and fourth in the Champagne S. (G1) last season, he spent his first
two sophomore starts in allowance company, finishing second at
Gulfstream before rolling to a 5 1/4-length decision at Aqueduct. Gone
Astray thereby earned his way back into stakes company. Although he took
several tries to break through at this level, he showed signs of
progress along the way. He was a retreating third in the Withers S.
(G3), a compromised sixth in the Woody Stephens S. (G2), a near-miss
second to Our Edge in the Coronado’s Quest S. at Monmouth, and a close
runner-up to Blame (Arch) in the August 2 Curlin S. at Saratoga.

“After his last performance at Saratoga, we decided we’d take a look at this
race,” McGaughey said. “We’d heard that maybe Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d’Oro)
might be headed to the Pennsylvania Derby, but when they declared their
intentions to stay in New York, we decided to come here. It looks like we made a
pretty good choice.”

The Kentucky-bred Gone Astray is out of the unraced Illicit (Mr. Prospector),
making him a half-brother to German Group 3-placed Contentious (Giant’s
Causeway), an unraced juvenile filly named Deceive (Tiznow) and a 2009 filly by
Langfuhr. Illicit is herself a half-sister to 2005 champion three-year-old filly
Smuggler (Unbridled). Gone Astray’s second dam is Hall of Famer Inside
Information (Private Account), who is in turn a half-sister to multiple Grade
1-winning millionaire and graded stakes producer Educated Risk (Mr. Prospector).
Gone Astray’s fifth dam is the influential matron Grey Flight (*Mahmoud).