8.18.01	Ellis Park photo
		Sam and Jeri Knighton's Request For Parole, shown winning the Ellis Park Juvenile this past summer at Ellis Park, won his 2002 debut in the $50,000 WEBN Frog Stakes on Feb. 2 at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky. A three-year-old son of Judge T.C. who is trained by Steve Margolis, Request For Parole is being pointed for the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes, which will be run at Turfway on March 2..

Request For Parole Wins WEBN Frog; Battaglia Next
By, John Gaver III

Sam and Jeri Knighton's Request For Parole, who had been keeping company with the likes of highly-regarded colts such as Siphonic, Repent and Harlan's Holiday in his past three starts, made his 2002 debut a winning one, as the son of Judge T.C. put away a stubborn Perfect Drift by a length and a half to win the $50,000 WEBN Frog Stakes (formerly President's Stakes) on Feb. 2 at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky. The WEBN Frog is the second of three local prep races for Turfway's marquee three-year-old race, the Lane's End Spiral Stakes (GII), which will be contested on March 23.

Forced to break from post-position nine in the 10-horse field of three-year-old colts, Request For Parole appeared to be a bit rank from the start off the extended layoff and was caught four-wide on the clubhouse turn while in close attendance to his stablemate, the pace-setting Thunder On Land after quarter mile in :23 1/5.

Jockey Brian Peck then eased Request For Parole back a bit further off the pace after a half in :46 4/5, allowing Turfway Preview winner Perfect Drift to take an inside stalking trip just off front-running Thunder On Land. Perfect Drift took command inside the quarter pole but was soon collared by Request For Parole, who drew off to win under mild urging, covering a mile over a "fast" track in 1:36 4/5. Perfect Drift ran gamely to finish second, Thunder On Land, part of a coupled entry sent postward by trainer Steve Margolis, held on for third. Artistic Design, Private Horde, Crafty Beau, Scooter Roach, Cj's Pride, Ide Be Spencers and Cayenne Call completed the official order of finish.

"I'm really pleased with how he ran," winning trainer Steve Margolis said. "I was a little worried going into the first turn because he was a little too eager to run, but Brian (Peck) did a great job of getting him to lay off my other horse (Thunder On Land). He's been training so good coming into this race. I was confident in him, but you're always anxious until they actually race. We'll just work up to the Battaglia now."

Request For Parole, a dark bay or brown colt by Judge T.C. out of the Deputy Minister mare Madison's Quest, improved his lifetime record to 8-3-3-1 with earnings of $229,912. He returned $3.20, $2.20 and $2.20 as the 3-to-5 favorite.

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