Vertical Threat, Heriberto Figueroa up, after winning the Smiling Tiger at Del Mar earlier this year
Breaking a step slowly from the rail post under Heriberto Figueroa, MyRaceHorse.com and Slam Dunk Racing’s Vertical Threat quickly assumed command and was never seriously threatened en route to a 7 1/2-length victory in Monday’s $200,000 Steel Valley Sprint at Mahoning Valley Race Course in Youngstown, Ohio.
Sent off as the even-money favorite, the Richard Baltas-trained colt by Tapiture covered six furlongs on a muddy track in 1:10.07 in the race restricted to 3-year-olds. Williston Way edged Flatter Me Please for second after the two raced as a team down the stretch, with Night Time finishing 6 1/2 lengths further back in fourth in the field of 12. Shashashakemeup and Golden Candy were scratched.
Vertical Threat paid $4.20 to win as the even-money favorite. He earned $112,800 for the victory.
While he was coming off a sixth-place finish after setting quick fractions for the opening six furlongs in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs last time out on the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby day card, Vertical Threat prepared for the Steel Valley Sprint in Southern California at the San Luis Rey training center. His first three races were in California, including a victory in the restricted Smiling Tiger Stakes at Del Mar in late July.
Southern California-based Figueroa – now a perfect three-for-three on the colt – guided Vertical Threat off the rail shortly after assuming command and remained well off the fence through fractions of :22.89, :45.59 and :57.63.
The victory was the third in five starts for Vertical Threat, produced from the Omega Code mare Viola Blew By and bred in Kentucky by Albert Davis and Teresa Davis. MyRaceHorse.com paid $100,000 for Vertical Threat at the 2019 OBS April Sale of 2-year-olds in training.
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