Dutrow Listens In as Aggadan Digs In to Win Jennings Handicap

BALTIMORE, Dec. 18 -- Visiting a friend in Florida and with no access to a television showing races from Pimlico, trainer Richard Dutrow had to get creative to follow his horse Aggadan around the track in the $100,000 Jennings Handicap.

The New York-based Dutrow, ranked eighth in the country in victories, called and asked an employee in the Pimlico media relations department to place a telephone next to the television by his desk so he could hear the call of the race. As the horses hit the stretch and headed toward the finish, Dutrow heard track announcer Dave Rodman's call: "Aggadan digging in and digging in to win."

It wasn't as easy as it might have sounded. Aggadan, the 3-5 favorite, had to run all out to hold off the aggressive challenge of Irish Colony, who fell short by a half-length.

Dutrow has been taking full advantage of Aggadan's status as a Maryland-bred, regularly trucking his fast and versatile runner down I-95 to feast on the rich stakes races restricted to horses foaled in the state. His victory in the 1 1/8-mile Jennings, worth $60,000, followed a win in the $75,000 Challedon on Nov. 6 and a second-place finish in the $200,000 Maryland Million Classic the prior month.

"I'll keep coming back as long as they keep putting up big purses like that," Dutrow said after the Jennings.

Aggadan, a 5-year-old son of Carnivalay -- which makes him a grandson of the great Northern Dancer -- won for the 12th time in 30 lifetime starts courtesy of an expert ride from 22-year-old jockey Ariel Smith.

The New York-based Smith, who has struggled since winning the Eclipse Award as top apprentice rider in the country in 1999, had never ridden for Dutrow before.

"We thought it would be a great opportunity," said Smith, who had won just 14 times with 328 mounts this year heading into the Jennings.

After a fast start, Aggadan settled on the backstretch and raced along in fourth place before finding a hole on the turn and pouncing on tiring leaders New York Hero and Deer Run at the top of the stretch. Irish Colony, coming off a big win in the Charles Hadry Stakes on Nov. 20, made a big run, but Aggadan won in a time of 1 minute 52.80 seconds.

Racing Notes: Headstrong and wrangled off the pace by jockey Victor Espinoza, Declan's Moon took charge on the backstretch and held off Giacomo and Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Wilko to win the Grade I $449,500 Hollywood Futurity at Hollywood Park. The undefeated winner, bred in Maryland, likely sewed up the Eclipse Award as top 2-year-old in the country.