Victor’s Cry heard loud and clear in Citation Handicap

Victor’s Cry only needed to shout for room when finding himself behind a wall of horses coming off the turn in the G2 Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park on Saturday. He pushed through a hole to burst out of the pack and win the one and one-sixteenth mile turf event by one and three-quarter lengths with astonishing ease.

The son of Street Cry now has earnings in excess of $500,000 and improved his record to six wins, three seconds, and two thirds from 21 starts for owner Equilete Stable. He has been very good on turf, with eight wins from 12 grass races, including a victory earlier this year in the G1 Shoemaker Mile, and a second in the G1 Eddie Read.

TVG commentator Ron Ellis remarked that he had beaten “a good set of horses” to turn in “a very impressive performance”, and trainer Eoin Harty noted that he “has a really good three-eighths in him” and the key to Victor’s Cry is simply to let him relax early on, and then find him running room for his great acceleration at the end.

Bred in Virginia by Legacy Farm from the Stakes-placed Clever Trick mare Short Time, Victor’s Cry is a half-brother to Stakes-placed Clever Strike.

Street Cry has sired five champions, including two-time champion and Horse of the Year candidate Zenyatta among his 41 Stakes winners, 28 of them graded. In 2010 his Graded Stakes winners have included Freedom Star, Here Comes Ben, Whobegotyou, Shocking, Southdale, and Blues Street.