Whosurboy Upsets in NH Sweeps
August 21, 2004,by Lynne Snierson, publicity director, Rockingham Park
SALEM, NH— Rockingham Park had David Ingraham Day scheduled for Sunday. The guest of honor showed up a little early.
Ingraham drove locally based Whosurboy to a surprise win in the $112,000 New Hampshire Sweepstakes Final on Saturday as the six-year-old horse bested heavy favorites Artesian and Boulder Creek to win the one mile pace in 1:51.3 over a track rendered sloppy by heavy downpours throughout the afternoon. Whosurboy, sent off at 7-1 coupled in an entry with Coastocoast Yankee, flew down the outside of the track and made up almost 13 lengths in the final quarter-mile to win by three-quarters of a length. Even money favorite Boulder Creek was second and 7-5 third choice Artesian was another three quarters of a length behind.
“I am thrilled with this win,” said the 42-year-old Ingraham, who is based in New England and classified this victory as the second biggest of his career behind the Kane Pace in 1995. “I was in a bad spot in the seven hole, and I had to hope for a speed duel (between Artesian abd Boulder Creek) and then get some cover to take me where I needed to be. I knew he could really close, and it worked out perfectly and just as I had hoped.”
Artesian and Boulder Creek battled on the front end through fractions of :26.1, 56:2, and 1:24.2, but the final quarter mile belonged to Whosurboy, the only Rockingham-based horse in the field of nine.
“I had to push the horse in the first quarter because the trainer told me that I had to get the lead,” said Michel LaChance, who drove Artesian. “It was a fast first quarter and the horse got a little tired at the end.”
Boulder Creek came up a little short in the final going as well.
“I tried to get by (Artesian) at the beginning but had to settle into second and wait to make another move at the end,” said Bruce Ranger, who drove the favorite. “Sometimes a horse doesn’t have a good second move. You’ve got to take what comes at the end. The winner is a pretty good horse.”
Trained by Jamie Smith and owned by C. Ed Mullinax of Amherst, Ohio, Whosurboy is a son of Artsplace and the Big Towner mare Sweet Reflection. He returned $16.60, $7.60, and $2.20 and boosted his lifetime earnings to $771,116.
Ingraham, who felt he may have enjoyed a home court advantage, happily accepted congratulations from the New England harness racing family in the paddock. On Sunday, he can celebrate with the fans when the track gives away can coozies created in his colors as the promotion of the day.
Ranger may not have won the NH Sweeps, but he did win six other races on the 11-race card to boost his record-setting season total to 187 and keep his daily win streak alive.