Tourist reaches Grade 1 destination in Fourstardave

After knocking on the door multiple times over the past couple years, Tourist finally earned his first Grade 1 victory Saturday in the $500,000 Fourstardave H. (G1) at Saratoga.

Despite breaking inward and affecting A Lot and Ring Weekend, Tourist soon assumed a stalking position in behind King Kreesa through moderate fractions of :24.53 and :48.43. Urged on by Joel Rosario approaching the quarter pole, Tourist poked his head in front after six furlongs in 1:11.70.

In the stretch, Tourist opened up on a tiring King Kreesa and was never in imminent danger as A Lot rallied from last in between rivals to snare place honors. A claim of foul against the winner by jockey Javier Castellano aboard A Lot for interference at the start was disallowed, and Tourist's 1 1/4-length victory was allowed to stand.

Owned by breeder WinStar Farm, Wachtel Stable, and Gary Barber, Tourist paid $7.40 after completing a mile on the firm inner turf in 1:34.29.

A Rod finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Grand Arch, the 2015 Fourstardave winner, with King Kreesa, Force the Pass, and 5-2 favorite Ring Weekend completing the order of finish.

A five-year-old son of Tiznow trained by Bill Mott, Tourist earned his first stakes win two years ago at Saratoga, taking the restricted $100,000 Sir Cat. He added the $300,000 More Than Ready at Kentucky Downs last September, but had settled for four placings in seven previous attempts at the Grade 1 level.

Second in the 2014 Secretariat (G1) at Arlington, Tourist was 13th in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) at Santa Anita later that year. Third by a neck in the 2015 Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) at Keeneland, he was again unplaced in the Breeders' Cup Mile last October at Keeneland.

Prior to this win, Tourist had run fourth in the Maker's 46 Mile (G1), fourth in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1), and second by a half-length in the Shoemaker Mile (G1). His earnings from a line of 16-5-3-3 now stand at $970,340.

Reared by Unbridled Melody, a daughter of Unbridled's Song, Tourist is a half-brother to Grade 3-placed stakes winner Michael With Us, and stakes winners Mountain Music Man and Harlan's Harmony, the latter a juvenile that captured the $100,000 Skidmore at Saratoga on Friday.

This extended family includes Japanese champion Hishi Akebono and European Group 1 stars Agnes World, Librettist, and Dubai Destination.

(Teresa Genaro photo)