Sweet Win for Sweetonrich in Richmond Stakes
Sweetonrich and Hoosier Park’s leading rider Leandro Goncalves prevailed in the 11th running of the Richmond Stakes Saturday, Oct. 1. The race was the first of 10 stakes on the program leading up to the featured Grade II $500,000-added Indiana Derby.
Starting from post four, Sweetonrich broke well for Goncalves and was in the mix for the lead early. Pretty Plain Jane and Rodney Prescott immediately joined them on the front and shared the lead through the first turn. No Sass and Tommy Pompell also moved up close and joined the early pace.
Heading into the final turn, Sweetonrich began to overpower Pretty Plain Jane, taking control of the race midway through the turn. When the field hit the top of the stretch, Sweetonrich had complete control of the field and began to draw away. Goncalves kept the three-year-old filly focused on the task and romped home to a five and three-quarter length win in a time of 1:41.0, a new stakes record for the one and one-sixteenth mile distance.
Last year’s Richmond Stakes winner Alyssa’s Native, ridden by Orlando Mojica, slid up the inside to finish a strong second. Lovely Leeann and Fernando De La Cruz hit the wire simultaneously with Pretty Plain Jane and Prescott to dead heat for third.
“She (Sweetonrich) was the heavy favorite so I wanted to get on the lead,” said Goncalves. “She broke good and got in position early. I was able to lay off the lead just a little bit and still keep our position. She was able to pull away from them and today, she was just much the best.”
Trained by Richard Kohnhorst, Sweetonrich earned her fourth win in eight starts for 2011. The Assembly Dancer daughter increased her career bankroll to more than $138,000 for Richard Pardue’s Winrich Farms. The Indiana-bred is now two for three over Hoosier Park’s oval.
The previous stakes record was set during the 2009 event by Classic Ramona and rider Emanuel Cosme in a time of 1:44.60. The time set by Sweetonrich was only one-fifth of a second from the track record set by 2009 Indiana Derby winner Misremembered and jockey Victor Espinosa in a time of 1:40.80.
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Sweetonrich and jockey Leandro Goncalves winning the Richmond Stakes
Photo by Linscott Photography