Lea Farms' multiple grade 3 winner Super Chow, in a change of tactics, came with a steady run down the middle of the racetrack to run down Concrete Glory and edge clear to a three-quarter-length victory Feb. 22 in the $125,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Ridden by Jorge Ruiz for trainer Jorge Delgado, Super Chow ($8.40) earned his 10th career win, eighth in a stakes, and first since the Maryland Sprint Stakes (G3) last spring at Pimlico Race Course. The winning time was 1:09.67 for six furlongs over a fast main track.
"The horse is mature (and) he's very healthy," Delgado said. "He's been really good to us. He's just shy of a million dollars in earnings and it's (the eighth) stakes that he's won so it's good. We are very happy."
Five-year-old Super Chow had been cross-entered in the Turf Dash Stakes Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs that would have marked his grass debut, but was pulled from consideration after drawing the rail. He instead stayed at his hometown track, where he now has a record of 4-2-1 from eight career starts.
Concrete Glory, one of four Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained horses in the race, took the early initiative and sped through the first quarter-mile in :22.87 with stablemate Swirvin along the rail in second and Super Chow in the clear two wide in third. The half went in :45.59 with Super Chow moving up to second leaving the far turn and wandering out to the middle of the track, using the length of the stretch to reel in Concrete Glory.
"We ran a little bit against our strategy because he likes to go to the lead. If he goes with the other horse most likely he's going to stop and some other horse is going to come from behind, at least that's how it looked on paper," Delgado. "The jockey did a really good job."
It was 4 3/4 lengths back to multiple stakes winner Gordian Knot in third, followed by favored Comedy Town, Swirvin, and Okiro. Grade 1-winning millionaire and 6-5 program favorite Nakatomi was scratched.
With the result Saturday, Super Chow's grass debut remains on hold.
"After this we're going to stay on the dirt probably for a while," Delgado said.
