“He helped take me to the next level as a driver.”
Such were the words of Yannick Gingras, who will take a seat behind Foiled Again as the sport’s richest-ever equine is invading Yonkers Raceway in search of his 100th career victory.
Foiled Again returns to the ‘Westchester wars’ this Thursday night (February 1), as he is set to start from Post 5 in the $20,000 eighth-race pace. The 14-year-old Dragon Again gelding will be making the 306th purse start of his $7.5 million career.
“I can’t say enough about him,” Gingras said. “There were seven or eight seasons, starting when he as a four-year-old, when he was among the best in the sport, which to me is amazing.
“He’s not the biggest or the fastest, but I’ve never driven one that had his desire…and the way he wins, it’s usually a rough trip. I don’t think he’s ever been second-over. He’d rather grind his way into it and battle.”
Not to mention he’s smarter than the average bear.
“He never exerts himself until he has to,” Gingras said. “If you’d allow it, he’d go a second quarter in 35 seconds, but right around the five-eighths or three-quarters, when he hears or sees someone coming, he picks up the bit and the switch goes on.”
Foiled Again won his 99th race at Yonkers in his mid-January, final-season debut, but his first crack at ‘Century City’ did not go well, as in a non-factor sixth. George Brennan was the driver for both efforts.
“That’s another thing about him,” Gingras said. “Some horses, if they race poorly, it seem to affect them for a month. ‘Foiled’…nothing seems to bother him.
“It would be fitting to do it here (Yonkers). He’s won the (George Morton) Levy Series twice (2009-10) and he always gets around the track well, probably because he rides the left line just enough.
“I can’t lie, I hope I’m the one who gets him to 100,” Gingras said. “I told (co-owner/trainer) Ronnie (Burke) to try and schedule him when I can drive him.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him Thursday. He’s just been such a big part of my career.”
(Yonkers Raceway)
I love Wiggle It Jiggleit,
I love Wiggle It Jiggleit, but if I had my choice - had to force myself to make a pick - I’d give Foiled Again the green light. Age 14 and still kicking butt!
With WiggleItJiggleIt on the
With WiggleItJiggleIt on the shelf for an entire year now, I think Foiled Again is presently the most popular horse in the sport.