Seven-year-old millionaire Fort Washington added another notable chapter to his accomplished turf career when he surged through traffic in the stretch to capture Saturday’s Grade 3 Dinner Party Stakes at Laurel Park, becoming the first horse in a century to win the race in consecutive years.
Fort Washington Dinner Party Stakes win.
The $250,000 contest, run over 1 1/8 miles on turf, formed part of Laurel Park’s major Preakness Stakes program and carried added historical weight as the 125th running of one of America’s oldest stakes races. Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey and ridden with patience by Junior Alvarado, Fort Washington produced a measured late charge to defeat A Bourbon for Toby by three-quarters of a length.
The victory placed Fort Washington alongside Sarazen, who achieved back-to-back wins in 1925 and 1926, as the only repeat winners in the long history of the Dinner Party Stakes.
Breaking from a compact field of five after two late scratches, Fort Washington settled in fourth early as Harrow dictated moderate fractions. Alvarado kept the veteran runner comfortably in the clear while favorite Cruise the Nile tracked the pace closer to the rail.
Approaching the far turn, Fort Washington began to improve smoothly. Entering the stretch, he threaded between rivals before grinding past A Bourbon for Toby in the closing stages to secure victory in 1:47.15 over the firm Dahlia turf course.
A Bourbon for Toby finished a strong second for trainer Tom Morley, while Cruise the Nile stayed on for third. What Say Thee and Harrow completed the order of finish.
The win continued a remarkable career for Fort Washington, whose résumé now includes eight victories from 32 starts and multiple graded stakes triumphs, among them the Arlington Million, Canadian Turf Stakes and Monmouth Stakes.
Assistant trainer Reeve McGaughey praised both horse and rider after the race, noting that the team’s primary concern had been staying within range of Cruise the Nile through the slow early pace.
“Junior brought it to perfection there. Everything was exactly the way we would have wanted it,” he said.
Alvarado, who also partnered Fort Washington to victory in last year’s edition, described the trip as ideal and credited the veteran gelding’s professionalism despite his quirks.
“I thought he was much the best today,” the jockey said. “It’s pretty special to win back-to-back in this race. I’m glad to be part of that.”
Trainer Tom Morley was equally encouraged by the runner-up performance of A Bourbon for Toby, who had raced only nine days earlier before stepping into graded company.
“He ran absolutely fantastic and I couldn’t be prouder of him,” Morley said after the colt secured valuable graded black type.
Cruise the Nile’s trainer Graham Motion felt the distance stretched his colt’s stamina limitations.
“He ran well, but I think he’s a miler,” Motion said. “The winner is a nice horse.”
First run in 1870, the Dinner Party Stakes remains one of the oldest continuously contested races in American racing. Named after the famous 1868 Saratoga gathering that helped inspire the creation of Pimlico Race Course, the event continues to hold an important place on the spring calendar despite ongoing redevelopment work at Pimlico.
For Fort Washington, Saturday’s success further strengthened his standing as one of the most reliable and durable turf performers in training.
The latest success further underlined Fort Washington’s consistency at the highest level, with the seasoned campaigner once again delivering on a major occasion.
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