Tonto rides again in Hallandale Beach

Starlight Stables et al's WHY TONTO (Indian Charlie) wasn't given the same respect as his highly touted stablemate Cowboy Cal (Giant's Causeway) in Saturday's $77,000 Hallandale Beach Stakes, but the Todd Pletcher trainee outgamed the 1-2 favorite to score by 1 1/2 lengths on the line.

Tracking in second along the rail behind Cowboy Cal, who was setting splits of :22 4/5, :46 and 1:09 3/5, Why Tonto moved up to challenge the leader leaving the far turn. With Edgar Prado in the pilot's seat, the sophomore easily pulled clear, eventually finishing 1 1/16 miles on the firm turf in 1:40 1/5.

Sent off the 5-1 third pick in the nine-horse field, Why Tonto rewarded his backers with payouts of $13.40, $4.20 and $2.80. He was second to Cowboy Cal in the grassy Tropical Park Derby (G3) prior to this one and also owns a runner-up finish in the Grand Canyon H., which ended his juvenile season. The bay colt was well beaten in his first two starts, and didn't begin to blossom until switched to the turf in his third career start, which turned out to be a victory in the World Appeal S. at Meadowlands. With the winner's share from Saturday's victory, Why Tonto now shows $131,893 in earnings to go along with his 8-3-2-0 mark.

Cowboy Cal was easily second best in the Hallandale Beach, paying $2.40 and $2.10 while ending the $12.40 exacta ($1). It was another 1 3/4 lengths back to Cannonball (Catienus), who captured the King Cugat S. over Why Tonto in late October. Show was worth $3 at 7-2 while finishing the $24.80 trifecta ($1). Closing Number (Mecke), another 1 1/2 lengths back in fourth, concluded the 3-1-4-5 superfecta ($1) that returned $221.70. Completing the order of finish were Gibber's Gold (Hose Chestnut [SAf]), Victory Cafe (Victory Gallop), Horse Doctor (Horse Chestnut [SAf]), Dulansky (Deputy Wild Cat), and Caberneigh (E Dubai). Run Sully Run (Cherokee Run), Chitoz (Forest Wildcat) and Moral Compass (Grand Slam) were all scratched.

Bred in Kentucky by T.F. Van Meter and L.B. Van Meter, Why Tonto is out of the winning Why So Much (Northern Baby) and counts three-time stakes victress Pretty Meadow (Meadowlake) and stakes heroine Because I'm Gold (Miswaki) as half-siblings. The colt comes from the same family as 1979 champion two-year-old colt Rockhill Native (Our Native), and brought $160,000 as a Keeneland September yearling in 2006.