Nun the Less again proved his affinity for Turfway Park, coming off an eight-month layoff to take Friday night’s $75,000 Forego Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths over runner-up Glennwood and another four lengths over third-place finisher Hemp Hemp Hurray.
Nun the Less proved his affinity for Turfway Park, taking the Forego Stakes at Turfway Park off an eight-month layoff, Rodney Prescott up. Credit: Coady Photography
The Forego is the third Turfway black-type win for Nun the Less, who also won the 2018 Prairie Bayou and last year’s Kentucky Cup Classic. The Candy Ride (ARG) gelding is trained by Cipriano Contreras.
Settled off blistering early fractions, Nun the Less finished the 6 1/2-furlong Forego for 4-year-olds and up in 1:16.58.
Unmoored clocked the first quarter in :21.89 before giving way to King Daddy, who marked the half-mile in :44.31. Nun the Less meanwhile raced well off the pace, more than five lengths back. When jockey Rodney Prescott urged him along on the turn, he fired to get six furlongs in 1:09.81 and lead the way home.
“He kind of laid back, and about the middle of the turn I asked him, just to save our spot more than anything, and he just exploded from there,” said Prescott. “I had a good trip—a little wide, but all in all a good trip. Coming off the layoff, Cipriano did a really good job with him. After I rode him at Arlington (when third in the Grade 3 Hanshin), he got the break. He’s been doing phenomenally since he brought him back.”
Behind Hemp Hemp Hurray came Caloric, Kitten’s Cat, Eagle Pass, First Growth, King Daddy, 3-2 favorite Lanier, Unmoored, Shakes Creek and Gettysburg. The two also-eligibles, Thirsty Betrayal and Two Bit Kid, did not draw in and were scratched.
Sent off the 7-2 second choice, Nun the Less returned $9, $5.20 and $3.80.
Out of the Forest Wildcat mare Nunnery, Nun the Less was bred in Kentucky by Claiborne Farm. He is owned by Raul Bahena’s Crystal Racing Enterprises and the trainer’s Contreras Stable Inc. With multiple graded stakes placings to his credit, the 8-year-old gelding has nine wins, five seconds and nine thirds in 33 starts and career earnings of $545,298.
Turfway Park
