All Included’s late surge earns him Appleton S. (G3) victory


All Included came from last to first in the final furlong of Saturday’s $200,000 Appleton S. (G3) to capture the one-mile turf affair by a half-length over Delta Prince.

The win was the first graded stakes victory for the 6-year-old son of Include, who also surpassed the half-million dollar mark in earnings after the $122,760 payday.

The six-horse field contested the first six furlongs in close quarters, with All Included in the back, but no more than six lengths off the lead at any point. After three-quarters of a mile in 1:09.73, Javier Castellano guided All Included to the far outside, and the flashy chestnut kicked into high gear, running down Delta Prince inside the final sixteenth.

The time on the firm turf was an excellent 1:33.12.

“My concern was I tried to wait as long as I can in the race,” Castellano said of his trip. “I have the type of horse that comes from behind. I took my time and rode with a lot of patience and confidence because I had the best horse in the race.” 

All Included, owned by his breeder Wertheimer and Frere, is trained by Todd Pletcher. His lifetime mark now stands at 5-2-3 in 17 starts, including a second in the Gulfstream Park Turf H. (G1) on Feb. 11. He now has earnings of $507,440.

In addition to All Included, Include registered another stakes winner on Saturday when Picture Day took the $55,000 Videogenic S. at Aqueduct. The 5-year-old mare is trained and owned by Linda Rice and was bred by Airdrie’s owner Brereton C. Jones.