Just when he looked done, Aaron & Marie Jones’ MASTER COMMAND (A.P. Indy)
found something in reserve to come back to score a 2 3/4-length victory over
Andromeda’s Hero (Fusaichi Pegasus) in Saturday’s $100,000
William Donald
Schaefer H. (G3) at Pimlico.
Sent to the early lead under Garrett Gomez, Master Command clocked fractions
of :23 4/5, :47 3/5 and 1:12 1/5 before Andromeda’s Hero took over the advantage
nearing the three-eighths pole. Master Command rallied back to duel with
that one and eventually re-obtained the lead en route to
stopping the clock in the 1 1/8-mile affair in 1:49 2/5 over a track labeled
fast.
Sent off as the 6-5 favorite, Master Command returned $4.60, $2.80 and $2.20
while leading exotics of $15.60 (exacta), $30 (trifecta) and $35.50 for the
1-5-7-3 superfecta ($1). Andromeda’s Hero paid $3.40 and $2.20 at 7-2 with Funny Cide
(Distorted Humor) coming home another 4 3/4 lengths farther back in third to
return $2.20 at 3-2. Play Bingo (Polish Numbers), Summer Book (Notebook) and
Water Cannon (Waquoit) rounded out the order of finish. Reckless Ways (Level
Sands) was scratched.
Bred in Pennsylvania by Brushwood Stable, the four-year-old Master Command is out
of the winning mare Lady Lochinvar (Lord at War [Arg]), whose most recent foals
are a two-year-old filly named X Star and a 2006 filly, both by Pulpit.
This was the Todd Pletcher-trained Master Command’s first stakes win and he improves his
record to 8-4-2-1 with earnings of $178,920. The chestnut was purchased
for $650,000 at the 2003 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected
Yearling Sale.