BY BROCK SHERIDAN
John Rowe’s homebred gelding Lord Eddard Stark shot to the front in the shadow of the wire to catch odds-on favorite Utah Beach and produce an astonishing victory at 60-1 odds in the $108,000 H. Allen Jerkens Handicap at Gulfstream Park Saturday. It was the first career stakes win in 28 starts for the 6-year-old Florida-bred, who defeated eight other 3-year-olds and older over the marathon distance of two miles on the grass.
In addition to earning the $59,520 winner’s share of the purse, Lord Eddard Stark also took home $8,000 in Florida-bred bonus money presented by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
“We’ve been talking about trying to run him a mile-and-a-half or two miles for a while now and we just didn’t have the opportunity,” trainer Joe Orseno said. “When this came up, I said, ‘We’re going to run him in this two-mile race. You might think I’m crazy, but we have to take a shot.’ Until you try it, you never know.”
The victory was first stakes win for Rowe, a resident of Reddick, Fla, who despite the long odds, said he was not surprised.
“No, absolutely I wasn’t surprised,” Rowe said. “He is a distance runner at age six and he gets better as he gets older. The longer the race, the stronger he gets and the jockey told me he could have gone another half mile.
“I bet him. All my friends bet him. My son bet him. My friends in England, they stayed up ’till midnight to watch the race and they bet him. I have the trophy. I have the money and I think I could walk back to Ocala right now I’m so excited.”
Florida-bred Prevent went immediately to the lead from the start and was in front of second-running Six Minus by as many as 15 lengths as they finished the first mile in 1:40.76. Lord Eddard Stark raced in sixth on the rail around the clubhouse turn and down the backstretch for the second time as Prevent maintained his lengthy advantage through nine furlongs in 2:07.22 and a mile-and-a-half in 2:32.12.
Prevent was still in front with two furlongs to race as Utah Beach began to advance while three-wide and Lord Eddard Stark saved ground in sixth, still five lengths back. Utah Beach shot past Prevent at the top of the stretch when jockey Leonel Reyes shifted Lord Eddard Stark to the outside with a furlong to run. Utah Beach was clear passing the sixteenth pole but Lord Eddard Stark found his best stride, catching Utah Beach at the finish to win by head in a final time of 3:20.28 on the firm turf. Utah Beach was a length-and-three-quarters in front of Six Minus in third followed in order by The Ginger Wizard (Ire), California Frolic, Prevent, Lord Flintshire, Eldest Son and Really Good. Dean Martini and The Grey Wizard (Ire) were scratched.
“I was pretty happy with the trip we were getting because he was just sitting on the inside covered up like I wanted him, and then he swung him around when he had to,” Orseno said. “I was happy he got a galloping trip, because in the morning that’s what the horse does all the time. He just gallops them into the ground. The riders always tell me the horse never gets tired. I couldn’t wait to run him this far.”
Assigned 117 pounds and getting a five-pound break from Utah Beach, Lord Eddard Stark paid $123 to win.
The Jerkens was only the second start in a stakes race for Lord Eddard Stark, who finished sixth in the $100,000 ESMARK Turf Classic won by Forever Souper at Tampa Bay Downs in March. He entered the Jerkens off a fifth-place finish in a $62,500 optional claiming won by Saratoga Flash going a mile-and-a-sixteenth at Gulfstream on Oct. 18 and his last victory came against first level, $25,000 optional claimers going a mile on the turf at Gulfstream in May.
Lord Eddard Stark is by He’s Had Enough out of Rough Winter, by Macho Uno. He has now won five with four seconds and five thirds while banking $233,149.
Lord Eddard Stark was the first foal for Rough Winter, who has another winner from two starters and three foals. She has an unraced 2-year-old colt, Valiant Winter, by Bridlewood Farm stallion Valiant Minister.
