Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
WA-bred five-year-old Goodfellaz appreciated a considerable drop-in class when he was untroubled to stroll to victory in the 2130m Fibreglass Shower Specialists Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Debra Lewis-trained gelding, driven by Chris Lewis, was a hot $1.30 favourite from the No. 3 barrier when he was not bustled early before getting past Navy Street ($6) to assume the role of pacemaker after 300m.
Goodfellaz showed his class with final three 400m sections of 28.7sec., 28.2sec. and 27.7sec. and he won by two lengths from Navy Street, who trailed him and finished more than five lengths ahead of the third placegetter, the $21 chance Rockandrollartist, who raced without cover early before gaining an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position.
“It all worked out perfectly,” said Lewis. “Once he got to the front, he was going to be hard to beat. Even if he breezed, he would’ve been hard to beat.
“The (unfavourable) draws in several recent starts put him back in the field and didn’t help him.” Goodfellaz’s win gave Lewis the first leg of a driving double which he completed with Caliente’s victory later in the program.
Goodfellaz is by American Ideal and is the seventh foal out of Shes Innocent, who raced 14 times for one win, four placings and $12,460. Shes Innocent’s first foal Restrepo earned $527,118 from 19 wins and ten placings from 49 starts.