Eightyfiveinafifty sparks Derby talk

Eightyfiveinafifty has stamped himself a horse to watch (Photo courtesy of NYRA) New York-based trainer Gary Contessa trains hundreds of horses and has been the leading trainer in New York for four consecutive years. His stables are home to everything from bottom-priced claimers to high-priced stakes horses, but it’s a recent maiden winner who has him talking Kentucky Derby (G1). After saddling EIGHTYFIVEINAFIFTY (Forest Camp) to a 17 1/4-length maiden win over the inner track in last Saturday’s 2ND race at Aqueduct, Contessa says he has a case of Derby fever. He’s also made it perfectly clear that his horse isn’t going anywhere. “After thinking about it for three or four days, I made a decision that might be debated, but I’ve decided to leave him in New York,” Contessa said. “He’ll run in the (February 6) Whirlaway and then the (March 6) Gotham (G3) and we’ll see from there. He loves the inner dirt, trains on it, and has a huge home track advantage.” Contessa was very confident leading up to Eightyfiveinafifty’s most recent race following a very solid career debut in August at Saratoga, where he finished 4 1/4 lengths behind next-out Hopeful S. (G1) winner Dublin (Afleet Alex).

“His race on Saturday was exactly what I expected — an overpowering
performance,” Contessa said. “I said before the race that he was a Derby horse.
When you race a Derby horse in a maiden race in the dead of winter at Aqueduct,
he’s supposed to win like that.”

Eightfiveinafifty’s final time of 1:10.85 was far and away the fastest
six-furlong race of the weekend. Excluding claiming races, there were five other
six-furlong events run Saturday and Sunday, including three maiden special
weights, one allowance and one stakes race. The average final time for those
five races was 1:13.83, nearly three seconds slower than Eightyfiveinafifty ran.

The three-year-old bay earned a 109 BRIS Speed figure for his efforts. The
big question now is whether or not he can handle two turns.

“Horses prove trainers wrong all the time,” Contessa said. “But I would bet
that this horse will get two turns. Watching him in the mornings, I get the
impression that he’ll run all day — he never gets enough. When he’s done
galloping in the morning, it’s all the rider can do to pull him up. If I breeze
him five-eighths, it’s at least a mile before he gets pulled up. He has a lot of
gears.”

For Contessa, a master of the claiming game in New York, not only is
Eightyfiveinafifty his hope at reaching his first Kentucky Derby, he could be
the horse of a lifetime.

“He is the best horse I’ve ever trained,” Contessa admitted. “I said that
even before he ran. I’ve won Grade 1s and Grade 2s, but this horse is the most
talented horse I’ve had. Now, that doesn’t mean he’ll be the greatest horse I’ve
trained — he has to achieve his greatness. A big part of being a great horse is
staying sound, and that’s the most important thing we’re trying to do — keep
him sound. If we can do that, I really think he will far eclipse any horse I’ve
trained in terms of achievements.”