Vienna’s $80,000 Gamble Just May Pay Off Today

Not many trainers would risk $80,000 to claim a horse, but that’s what Darrell Vienna did to obtain Apollo Flight two months ago at Del Mar. Today, the 6-year-old Brazilian-bred will try for a second straight stakes victory as the Los Angeles County Fair ends its 18-day season at Pomona.

Apollo Flight had won only one race in two years when Vienna picked him from trainer Noble Threewitt out of the fifth race at Del Mar Aug. 3.

He finished third that day, then ran sixth Aug. 26 at Del Mar in his first start out of Vienna’s barn.

On Sept. 14, Apollo Flight got back $32,400 of that $80,000 investment for the Triple Dot Dash Stable with a come-from-behind win in the 1 1/16-mile Phil D. Shepherd Stakes at Pomona. That win earned Apollo Flight a bid for today’s $100,000 Pomona Invitational Handicap, the first six-figure purse in the history of the fair.

The Invitational is 1 1/8 miles on dirt, which may be Apollo Flight’s best surface after years of running mostly on grass. The Shepherd was the horse’s first time on dirt in the United States after 10 straight grass outings and only his seventh race on dirt in 38 starts. The dirt win was a shocker, at odds of 27-1.

Vienna and Triple Dot can “get out,” as they say, with Apollo Flight today, since the winner’s share of the purse is $55,000, which would put their horse over the $80,000 mark.

Six other horses are entered, including Fabulous Dad, who won the stake last year but has raced only four times since.

Fabulous Dad, a 7-year-old gelding, has made just one start this year, finishing fifth while running for an $80,000 claiming price at Del Mar Aug. 14.

The field, in post-position order: Iron Leader, with Frank Olivares riding; Fabulous Dad, Antonio Castanon; Last Command, Ray Sibille; Gallant Poleax, Rick Dominguez; Apollo Flight, Luis Ortega; Patrick McFig, Martin Pedroza, and Artichoke, Ron Hansen. Apollo Flight has been assigned high weight of 120 pounds, followed by Iron Leader with 118.