Inherit the Gold rolls home in Excelsior

Last updated: 4/2/11 7:32 PM

Inherit the Gold was a white
streak under the Excelsior wire
(Photo Courtesy of NYRA)

INHERIT THE GOLD (Gold Token) tracked pacesetter Understatement (Distorted
Humor) through slow early splits
and powered past his rival at the top of the stretch, quickly drawing clear to a
runaway 6 1/4-length victory in Saturday’s $98,000
Excelsior S. (G3) at Aqueduct. Trained by
James Hooper, the five-year-old stretched his winning streak to five while
netting his first graded stakes victory. The New York-bred completed 1 1/8 miles
in 1:50 1/5 with jockey Eddie Castro.

“There was only one horse with speed in the race, so I could stay fairly
close,” Castro said. “I rode him the same today; I didn’t want to change. When I
asked him to move, he did. He’s getting better. It was a tough race today. There
were a lot of nice horses.”

“It was a perfect trip,” Hooper said. “Eddie knew he might have to stay a
little closer today and he did. It’s whenever he decides he wants to make the
move. Eddie’s done a great job with him.”

Favored at 7-5 among five horses, Inherit the Gold paid $4.80, $2.40 and
$2.10. Modern Cowboy (Tiznow) easily got up for second, 4 1/4 lengths better
than Understatement,
who held for third after establishing opening fractions in :24 3/5, :49 2/5, and 1:13 2/5. More Than a Reason (More Than Ready) and Goombada Guska (Yonaguska)
rounded out the order of finish.

Owned by Susanne Hooper and Glas-Tipp Stable, Inherit the Gold was making
only his second start against open rivals on Saturday, easily winning an
allowance/optional claiming event three starts previously. The gray gelding was exiting a
pair of victories over state-breds in the King’s Point S. and Mr. International
S., and has now earned $288,601 from a 14-7-3-2 career line.

Hooper hasn’t mapped out an agenda for Inherit the Gold.

“We just listen to what (the horse) tells us,” the trainer said. “He’s a
very, very smart horse — way smarter than we are. I’m just going to enjoy this
one; who knows where we’ll go next? I want him to be happy. As long as this
horse is happy, we’ll have a lot of fun.”

The Hooper homebred is out of the winning Personal Flag mare Melissa’s
Sunshine and his second maternal dam, Leslie Baba (Raja Baba), is a full sister
to 1982 Louisiana Derby (G2) winner and Arkansas Derby (G1) runner-up El Baba.
This is also the female family of Grade 2 vixen Give Praise (Pioneering).