Farnsworth Stables LLC’s MENDING FENCES (Forestry) shipped west for Saturday
night’s closing feature at Sam Houston, the $201,000
John B.
Connally Breeders’ Cup Turf H. (G3), and exited the race with his first
stakes win. Trained by Marty Wolfson and ridden by Quincy Hamilton, the former
claimer took the lead out of the gate and was never headed en route to a
three-quarters of a length victory as the 3-1 second choice.
The five-year-old dark bay ran 1 1/8 miles on the yielding turf in 1:52 1/5,
rewarding his backers with payouts of $8.20, $5.20 and $7. Embossed (Ire) (Mark
of Esteem [Ire]) ran next to last until the far turn, when he rallied wide
to get up for second, a neck in front of General Charley (Truluck). Place gave
back $10.40 and $12.60 at 12-1 while ending the $67.40 exacta. General Charley,
second throughout until the very end, was worth $14.60 at 17-1 and finished the
$377.80 trifecta. Fort Prado (El Prado [Ire]), another length back in fourth at
4-1, completed the $1,206 superfecta (1-2-3-4) and was followed by 4-5 favorite Silver Tree
(Hennessy), Storm Treasure (Storm Boot) and Doctor Doctor Mrmd (Dr. Adagio).
“He’s a great horse to ride; I can’t find many of those,” Hamilton said. “He
broke great and settled in perfectly and whenever I called on him, he was all
there. I saw the horse (Embossed) coming at the end, but my horse was very game
and just a pleasure to ride.”
Mending Fences was sixth, just 3 1/4 lengths back of the winner, in the Mac
Diarmida H. (G2) in his 2007 bow and filled that same spot in his only other try
against stakes company. After competing in the claiming ranks a number of times, he
now owns four wins from six starts with Wolfson and has improved his overall
mark to 26-7-5-3 with $231,400 in lifetime earnings.
Bred in Kentucky by Aaron and Marie Jones, Mending Fences brought $290,000 as
a Keeneland September yearling. He is out of the winning Mended Heart (*Le
Fabuleux), who has also produced 1995 Remsen S. (G2) winner Tropicool (Carr de
Naskra).