A season of futility in stakes company for Donald Dizney’s four-year-old
homebred Apriority ended on a brighter note in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Mr.
Prospector Stakes at Gulfstream Park. A potentially costly stumble leaving the
gate nearly derailed the colt’s chance at a first added-money victory, but the
bay recovered sufficiently to reach contention down the backside and then
rallied up the inside to deny long-time leader Zero Rate Policy by a head bob at
the wire.
Under pressure from Immortal Eyes and The Hunk through an opening quarter in
:22 1/5, Zero Rate Policy edged away from that pair around the far turn while
Apriority, who went to his nose at the start, sat chilly in fourth while racing
closest to the rail. Zero Rate Policy reached the half in :44 3/5 and then
extended his margin to one length at the top of the stretch, with Apriority now
posing the most serious threat inside the final eighth. Under a heavy drive by
Luis Saez, Apriority pulled even with Zero Rate Policy in the final yards and
won by a nose with Indiano a half-length behind in third. The final time for six
furlongs on a fast track was 1:09 1/5.
Apriority paid $7.20, $4.20 and $3.20 as the 5-2 second choice. Following 5-2
favorite Indiano across the wire were Capt. Candyman Can, The Hunk, Immortal
Eyes and Nathan’s H Q.
Once in the shadow of former stablemate Big Drama, Apriority has now become
the David Fawkes stable’s leading older sprinter since the 2010 champion
sprinter’s recent retirement. Unlucky when a close second in the Sunshine
Millions Sprint, Grade 1 Carter Handicap and Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes
earlier in the year, Apriority entered the Mr. Prospector off three consecutive
off-the-board efforts, the most recent being a sixth in the Grade 1 Breeders’
Cup Sprint. Now a perfect three-for-three at Gulfstream, his record now stands
at 17-5-6-1, $371,224.
By Grand Slam out of the unraced Storm Bird mare Midway Squall, Apriority is
a half-brother to the stakes-winning producer Squall City and to British
Attitude and Acadia Breeze, pair of minor stakes-placed runners. Squall City is
the dam of stakes winners Lady Chace and Vindy City, and the Grade 1-placed Big
Tiz.
Multiple Grade 3 winner Nany also traces back to this female family.