Twin Creeks Racing Stables’ Kentucky homebred Law Professor drew off to an impressive 7 1/2-length score in Saturday’s $150,000 Queens County, a nine-furlong route for 4-year-olds and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Rob Atras and piloted by the red-hot Manny Franco, the graded-stakes winning son of Constitution proved to be much the best in a race originally scheduled for a December 31 Big A card that was cancelled due to heavy fog.
Law Professor entered from a pair of Grade 1 starts, posting a game runner-up effort to multiple Grade 1-winner Life Is Good in the nine-furlong Woodward here in October ahead of a last-out fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in November at Keeneland.
The emphatic score could propel Law Professor back to Grade 1 company in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational on January 28 at Gulfstream Park should the talented colt draw in as one of eight horses on the reserve list for the $3 million test.
“We were hoping this would be a race he could win and be a confidence builder because he had run against some real tough horses his last two,” Atras said. “We’ll have to see how he comes out of the race. It is a little quick back, but I wouldn’t rule out anything.”
Law Professor was bumped at the break but managed to settle comfortably in third position as the Jorge Vargas, Jr.-piloted Sea Foam marked the opening quarter-mile in 23.77 seconds over the good main track with Thomas Shelby tracking in second under Jose Lezcano.
Law Professor was asked for run approaching the far turn and was in front at the five-sixteenths, kicking on gamely under light urging from Franco and powering away to a comfortable score under wraps in a final time of 1:51 flat.
Atras admitted to being a little nervous even as Law Professor took command.
“It’s never over until it’s over but the way everything unfolded, it was a very professional victory,” Atras said. “I wouldn’t say we were expecting it, but the way he had been training, we were looking for this effort. I’m very glad we got it.”
“I was able to stalk three-wide and that was it. He was dragging me the whole way,” Franco said. “I didn’t want to move too soon. I knew I had a lot of horse under me. I just wanted to wait a little longer. The horse went on with it. I knew they would have to run fast to pass me. I knew how much horse I had.”
Law Professor started his career on the West Coast with conditioner Michael McCarthy. In December 2021, Law Professor won an off-the-turf edition of the Grade 2 Mathis Mile at Santa Anita ahead of three additional graded efforts for McCarthy topped by a runner-up effort in last year’s nine-furlong Grade 2 San Pasqual over the main track at the Arcadia, California oval.
The versatile fellow made his first start for Atras a winning one, taking the restricted Tapit over firm turf at Kentucky Downs in September ahead of his recent graded efforts.
Bred in Kentucky by his owner, Law Professor banked $82,500 in victory while improving his record to 14-5-2-1. He returned $4.20 for a $2 win ticket.
Jan 7, 2023
nyra.com
by Keith McCalmont
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