Hard Astray makes it look easy

Hard Astray looked more like Secretariat in the Belmont Stakes than a claimer at Mountaineer who was winning for the seventh time in his career and first of 2023.

In a one-mile race with veteran Yuri Yuranga aboard, the 6-year-old gelding by Gone Astray jumped out to the lead, opened up by two lengths in a :23.83 quarter, was 2 1/2 lengths in front after a half in :47.11, stretched it to six lengths with three quarters in 1:12.88. and cruised home by nearly eight lengths in 1:40.75 without receiving a threat.

Hard Astray, bred by JDAB Stables, paid $21.20 and earned a check for $4,814, raising his lifetime total to $52,622 on a record of 7-2-1 in 26 starts. He’s Gone Astray’s 21st winner of 2023.