Sir Winston's Dubai World Cup dream alive with comeback win

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Photo: Chelsea Durand/NYRA

Belmont Stakes hero Sir Winston, making his first start on dirt since his Triple Crown victory last June, surged last to first on Friday in an allowance optional claiming race in New York. With the win behind him, his Aqueduct results will have the Mark Casse trainee climbing back up the class ladder in the near future.

The son of Awesome Again, a Tracy Farmer homebred, trailed a field of seven entering the far turn before uncorking an eye-catching rally under jockey Dylan Davis. He gobbled up ground along the rail once Leitone opened up in 48.33 seconds for the half mile, split horses in the stretch and stopped the clock in 1:39.15 for the one-turn mile.

That seemed to exceed the expectations of Casse, who scratched Sir Winston out of last Saturday’s Jazil Stakes when the track came up sloppy. In rerouting to the allowance, the trainer said that, “All I’m looking for is a positive race where he’s closing.”

The betting public seemed to agree with that assessment, letting Sir Winston off as the 4-1 third choice.

"They didn't set a super fast pace early on, so it's not like they collapsed at him," said Jamie Begg, Casse's New York-based assistant. "He went and got it."