'Gams' Is A Big Winner At Laurel

Fogelsonger Rides To Win in Feature

The first graded stakes race jockey Ryan Fogelsonger ever won came in 2002, when Kentucky-based trainer Thomas Amoss gave him the mount on his fast filly Miss Lodi in the Grade III Safely Kept Breeders' Cup at Pimlico. All Amoss knew about Fogelsonger at the time was that he was the leading rider in Maryland, and he got a little nervous when he found out before the race the young jockey still rode with an apprentice weight allowance.

Now a seasoned journeyman jockey, the 25-year-old Fogelsonger picked up another mount from an out-of-towner yesterday for the Safely Kept when top New Jersey trainer Ben Perkins Jr. put him on his fast filly Wild Gams.

Fogelsonger had never ridden for Perkins, who for years has developed quality runners for his principal client, New Farm. Fogelsonger made a strong impression on this trainer, too, setting up Wild Gams behind a fast pace and rolling four wide off the turn to a three-quarter length victory over favorite Wildcat Bettie B.

The six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies is one of the most prestigious of the Laurel Park fall meet and Wild Gams took down the $120,000 first prize.

"Do you always follow instructions like that?" New Farm owner E.B. Novak asked Fogelsonger in the winner's circle.

Perkins had used jockeys Eibar Coa, Michael Luzzi and Joe Bravo on Wild Gams this year as she amassed a record of four wins in seven starts, three of the victories in stakes races. All three had prior commitments on other horses and the trainer called his friend Jeff Runco, who mostly races at Charles Town, looking for ideas on who to use.

After Wild Gams won, getting through the six furlongs in a fast 1 minute 9.93 seconds, Perkins wasn't sure if Fogelsonger had ever ridden for him before. The jockey knew.

"I've ridden against him a few times, but this is the first time I got to ride for him," Fogelsonger said. "Even these days, I get a little nervous sometimes. Just riding for a new guy of his caliber; he's got a lot of nice horses. It still gets to me a little bit after four years."

At 6-1, Wild Gams went off as the third betting choice in the race, which looked to set up perfectly for heavy favorite Wildcat Bettie B. The Delaware Park-based filly rode in on a three-race winning streak -- all graded races, including the Grade I Prioress Breeders' Cup at Belmont Park.

When the gate opened, Cajun Mistress shot to the front from her inside post position, tracked closely by long shot Coli Bear, ridden by Anna Napravnik. After a half mile in 45.68 seconds, Wildcat Bettie B was on the outside and losing ground, while Wild Gams made her move with strong urging by Fogelsonger.

In the stretch, with Wild Gams putting away leader G City Gal, jockey Mario Pino finally got Wildcat Bettie B into her best stride and she closed stoutly for second place.

"I wish every race set up like that," Pino said. "But when it was time to go at the three-eighths pole, she hopped up and down and I couldn't get her level. When she took to the right lead, she took off, but it was too late."

Racing Note: Several of the jockeys, including Fogelsonger, Dane Kobiske and Joe Rocco Jr., refused to ride in the final two turf races of the card, complaining the wet turf course was unsafe.

The group attempted to get the other jockeys to agree to ask that the race be run on the dirt, but no consensus was reached.

"I was upset at one point when certain riders tried to force their feelings on other riders," said Lou Raffetto, the track president. "I told the jocks the track was safe."