War of Will

[Wandering Eyes]

WAR OF WILL (c, War Front—Visions of Clarity {Ire}, by Sadler’s Wells)
O-Gary Barber. B-Flaxman Holdings Limited (KY). T-Mark Casse. Sales History: $175,000 RNA Ylg ’17 KEESEP; €250,000 2yo ’18 ARQMAY. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-2-1-1, $251,569.
Last Start: 1st, GIII Lecomte S., FG, Jan. 19
Next Start: Possible for GII Risen Star S., FG, Feb. 16
Equineline PPs. Caulfield on War of Will. KY Derby Points: 10.

War of Will’s four-length throttling of Saturday’s decent GIII Lecomte S. field wasn’t a seismic jolt to the Top 12 rankings. But it did put the 1-2-3 kingpins on notice that the gap between them and the rest of the pack just shifted uncomfortably tighter. Trainer Mark Casse—hardly known as a tout of his own horses—had been telling anybody who’d listen that this turf-pedigreed $298,550 ARQMAY War Front colt is the real deal in terms of being a Derby-caliber dirt horse, and War of Will (who ran in two Grade I stakes as a juvenile maiden) capably proved he could handle two-turn graded stakes company. A sharp break gave jockey Tyler Gaffalione his pick of positioning, and he opted for clear passage four deep through he first turn with War of Will resisting restraint before settling into rhythmic stalk mode down the backside behind moderate splits. He always looked primed to pounce, and took over in hand about a quarter mile out. When his rider asked for more oomph with a vigorous hind ride, War of Will uncoiled into another deep-stretch gear but was never fully extended before galloping out with high energy. “I never turned my stick on him,” Gaffalione said post-race. “I just let him open up a bit. He really is special.”

VIDEO PPS

FINISH	RACE
1st	Maiden
5th	GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
4th	GIII Bourbon S.
2nd	GI Summer S.
3rd	Maiden

 

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