New York Hero Lives Up To His Name In Stirring Lane's End Stakes
By: John Gaver III

(Mar. 23, 2003) - Paraneck Stable's New York Hero was just that on Saturday, Mar. 22 at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., as the Maryland-bred son of Partner's Hero shipped in as an unknown longshot for the $500,000 Lane's End Stakes (GII) but will ship out with not only the lion's share of the six-figure purse, but also an enhanced reputation among the nation's top 3-year-olds after jockey Norberto Arroyo, Jr. guided the colt to a neck victory over Eugene Third's Son in the 22nd running of Turfway's marquee event for sophomore colts.

Champali, who was trying to become the first horse to sweep the early season 3-year-old stakes at Turfway, was 2 ¼ lengths back in third, a head to the good of 4-5 favorite Lion Tamer, who broke a step slow. Saintly Look, Lots Of Sizzle, Chicken Soup Kid, Wendlar and Ozzie Cat completed the official order of finish.

New York Hero, who was equipped with blinkers for the first time by trainer Jennifer Pedersen, broke in good order and was glued to the outside flanks of pacesetting Saintly Look, who carved out early splits of :22 4/5 for the opening quarter-mile, :46 3/5 for the half and a dawdling 1:37 flat for eight furlongs.

Just past the three-furlong marker, as the field swept into the final turn, New York Hero and Arroyo had collared a tiring Saintly Look, then moved to the forefront while running in the four or five path near the crown of the racetrack at the head of the stretch.

Eugene's Third Son, who had been biding his time stalking the front-runners under jockey Pat Day - who was looking for an unprecedented sixth win on the Lane's End Day card - took a run at New York Hero at the five-sixteenths pole and battled that rival gamely to the wire, only to come up a long neck short at the finish.

"When he saw the other horse, he took off running again," Arroyo was quoted as saying in the Louisville Courier-Journal. "If they'd gone another quarter-mile, he'd have stayed ahead."

Sent off at odds of 14-1, New York Hero retuned a healthy $31.40, $15.20 and $6.80; he covered a mile and an eighth over a surface labeled "fast" in 1:50 3/5, the slowest time recorded in the race since Prairie Bayou's 1:50 4/5 in 1993.

New York Hero is named for the people involved in and associated with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. Ernie Paragallo, who runs his Thoroughbred interests under the name Paranack Stable, is a New York investment banker who lost several friends and business associates in the 9-11 tragedy. Pedersen said that Paragallo, who was not among the 20,126 in attendance at Turfway on Saturday, donated $1 million to a post 9-11 fund in New York.

New York Hero, who was coming off a game second-place finish against older horses in an allowance race on the inner dirt course at Aqueduct on Feb. 27, was entered in the Mar. 16 Gotham Stakes (GIII) at Aqueduct, but was scratched when he drew the widest post of all in a full field of 12.

With his Lane's End victory, New York Hero improved his record to three wins and a pair of seconds from five lifetime starts. The $300,000 winner's share of the purse bolstered the colt's lifetime earnings to $367,800. Pedersen said that New York Hero would be pointed to the Wood Memorial (GI) at Aqueduct on Apr. 12.

Champali, who stumbled slightly at the start, was the recipient of a ground-saving trip on the rail by jockey Jason Lumpkins, yet the son of Glitterman was one-paced in the final furlong and failed to make a serious impact. Trainer Greg Foley said Champali was exhausted after the race and would not remain on the Kentucky Derby trail.

"I've never seen him blow like that," Foley was quoted as saying in the Louisville Courier-Journal. "I really thought we'd win this race, and I'm disappointed we didn't. We thought he had to win this thing to go on, but we will do the smart thing."

Trainer Patrick Byrne also expressed doubts that Eugene's Third Son, a son of Indian Charlie, could stay the mile and a quarter distance of the Kentucky Derby. Instead, the colt will be pointed to the mile and a sixteenth Lexington Stakes (GII) at Keeneland or the one-mile Derby Trial (GIII) on opening day at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Todd Pletcher indicated that Lion Tamer will get one more chance to prove himself worthy of being Kentucky Derby material when he tries either the Lexington Stakes, Blue Grass Stakes (GI), Wood Memorial or Arkansas Derby (GII) in his next two-turn start.

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