LOS ALAMITOS, CA—MAY 30, 2018—Michelle Sanchez’s French Fury has been a joy to watch in 2018. The now 8-year-old gelding by Stoli has made five starts this year and he has gotten better and better with each start.

Trained by Valentin Zamudio, the Texas-bred veteran did his best work of the year last Sunday night, as he outdueled a group of classy runners – all much younger than him - to win an allowance at 330 yards in a good time of :16.628.

The victory improved French Fury’s lifetime record to 10 wins in 49 career starts with earnings of $181,032. Earlier this year, French Fury set a track record at 100 yards when covering the distance in a blinding quick time of :06.51. With his victory at that short distance, French Fury is one of the few horses to have accomplished wins at 100, 330, 350, 400 and 440 yards.

"He just loves to race," Zamudio said. "He battles and always tries his hardest every single time. He’s up there in age and he’s had an excellent career. It doesn’t matter the distance or the type of race, French Fury is going to battle. Around the barn, he’s a professional. He knows his job. He knows what to do when it’s his night to race. He always has a great attitude, as long as you don’t upset him. He has actually taught me a few things over the past few months."

With 17 stakes appearances over the course of his career – several at the Grade 1 level at Los Alamitos - French Fury can still be a factor in major races this year, but Zamudio is fine with being patient and picking his spot with this decorated warrior, who’ll be celebrating his 50th career start in his next foray.

"I would be okay running him in a stakes race, if the right one comes along, but I think he’s doing great at the allowance level. For now I’m looking more to running him in an allowance race. He has always been a very quick horse, a super quick horse. He finished second in his most recent allowance race, but the winner of the race was Lett Her Beat, who is a four-time winner at 100 yards. French Fury actually outbroke Lett Her Beat, but she got us at the end and beat us by a head. With French Fury, he’s just so good in the gates. He’s got like a built in sensor. When the gates open, he just goes."

French Fury’s biggest race of figures to be his effort on December 12, 2015.

"He ran against the best in the 2015 Champion of Champions," Zamudio said. "He was going against Heza Dasha Fire and Moonist in that race and he broke on top. He was ahead of two greats early on, but they just had too much power late. He ran a great race and still finished in fourth place in the Champion of Champions. Not too many horses have done that well in the Champion of Champions."

Courtesy of www.losalamitos.com.