Chris Drakos and Ryan Hanson's Weston won his second race in as many starts and marked the first black-type winner for his freshman sire, Hit It a Bomb, by taking the $151,000 Best Pal Stakes (G2) Aug. 8 at Del Mar.
The bay gelding was also the first winner for his sire, taking a 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight June 21 at Santa Anita Park. His Best Pal victory marked the first Thoroughbred stakes win of Hanson's training career.
Jockey Drayden Van Dyke was aboard the 2-year-old for both starts.
"Boy, I had to work hard for that one. But I'm glad I did," Van Dyke said. "I was happy to win it for Ryan Hanson. He is such a kind man and a good horse trainer. And this horse showed some class, too. Ryan told me he never got to paddock him (prior to the race), but he was just standing in there like an old pro. I knew I got there in the end, and I'm real glad I did."
Weston's six rivals in the Best Pal included Ambivalent and Girther, the respective runner-up and fifth-place finisher from his debut race. Girther returned July 11 to win a maiden race at Del Mar, and Ambivalent entered the Best Pal off the effort behind Weston.
The heavy 1-2 favorite in the field was Roderick, a debut winner at Belmont Park June 21 and a full brother to 2017 Southwest Stakes (G3) winner One Liner who shipped in from Wesley Ward's Keeneland base. Roderick led the first quarter-mile in :22.78 and was only a head in front of Girther, who was another head in front of Weston.
The pacesetter could not match the pair directly behind him, and Girther took a head advantage over Weston, running a half-mile in :46.44. Those two battled all the way to the wire, and Weston dug in late in the stretch to get up by a neck. The gelding completed the six furlongs on a fast track in 1:12.72.
"He broke sharp, just like we wanted him to, but then it looked like he just sat there for a minute," Hanson said. "I got a little nervous when he got shuffled back, but then he got back up there and fought on. The time was not very impressive, but that doesn't matter. I didn't think we were going to win it. I thought we'd be second to (Girther), who had had a trip over the track. But I'm just really happy."
Regarding the Sept. 7 Runhappy Del Mar Futurity (G1), Hanson said, "We'll see how he looks tomorrow and let him tell us what to do."
Ambivalent crossed the wire third and Sonic Brees was fourth, but stewards disqualified Ambivalent to fourth for shifting in and bumping Sonic Brees in the stretch. Sonic Brees was placed third. Schnell and Herd Immunity finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Roderick faded to last.
Drakos purchased Weston for $7,000 from the Dromoland Farm consignment to the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Weston previously sold for the same amount to Cathal Lynch from Four Star Sales' consignment to the 2019 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale.
He has earned $120,000 from his two wins.
Weston was bred in Kentucky by EVADI Farm Team. He is out of the multiple stakes-placed Dixie Union mare Elke, who has since produced a yearling Tapiture filly and a Speightster colt born this year.
