Full Mandate, a hitherto underachieving $3.2 million yearling acquisition, finally made his stakes racing debut Saturday in Arlington Park’s $100,000 Black Tie Affair Handicap and won by a neck in a photo finish with Bonus Pack.
The victory didn’t come easily, according to Rene Douglas, who rode the 4-year-old son of 1992 Horse of the Year A.P. Indy for the first time.
“I didn’t think this horse would be that lazy,” Douglas said. “I couldn’t get him going, but I never gave up. Once he got going, the last jockey I wanted to meet was Earlie Fires [aboard Bonus Pack]. Earlie is hard to beat in the stretch, and his horse wasn’t giving up.”
Last in the field of seven with three-eighths of a mile remaining in the 1 1/8-mile race, Full Mandate made a five-wide stretch rally to outfinish 19-10 favorite Bonus Pack. He was timed in 1 minute 50.24 seconds.
