The Town Breaks His Maiden at Gulfstream Park
On Friday afternoon at Gulfstream Park, The Town delivered a long-awaited breakthrough, capturing a $50,000 Maiden Optional Claiming and breaking his maiden at one mile on the turf against a field of twelve 3-year-olds for trainer Brad Cox.
In his familiar late-running style, The Town was a touch slow away from the gate and settled toward the back of the field as the opening quarter went in :23.90. He remained tenth at the half-mile marker (:47.34), then began to improve his position approaching the three-quarter pole, moving into eighth while navigating traffic. Swinging wide turning for home, he launched a sustained rally, and under a determined ride from Irad Ortiz Jr., surged past rivals in the stretch to get up at the wire by a neck.
A bridesmaid no more, The Town is officially off the mark. Patience paid off with this colt, and it’s exciting to see him put it all together and earn his first trip to the winner’s circle.
Following the race, The Town reported to the test barn, cooled out smoothly, and was declared in good order.
Key Takeaways
Final Thoughts
This effort confirmed that the surface and distance are very much in The Town’s wheelhouse. With his maiden behind him, we’re excited to see where this momentum carries him next. The management team will wait for the dust to settle, but are looking at options at Turfway Park for his next start.
