Another race at Kentucky Downs for Hidden Class means another trip to Kentucky Downs for James Atkins.
Hidden Class, a 2-year-old filly, will make her second appearance at the FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs on Wednesday when trainer Joe Sharp saddles her in the $500,000 Pepsi Untapable Stakes.
Atkins, from Culpeper Va., owns the daughter of Catalina Cruiser along with Erich Brehm Jr., Zachary Daigle, Bob Hogan and Richard Rawlings. Hidden Class won the second race on Kentucky Downs' opening day, Aug. 31. Atkins, who has owned horses dating back to the 1970s, said that win was the biggest of his career.
It was a $250,000 allowance race restricted to fillies that had been sold or gone through the ring at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Hidden Class, the 7-5 favorite in that race, won by 3 1/4 lengths. She was ridden by Joel Rosario, who has the return ride on Wednesday.
The Untapable, like the allowance race, is 6 1/2 furlongs.
“Joe kind of had his mind made up after that race that he was going to run in this one as long as everything was good,” Atkins, who owns Peppers Grill back home, said by phone. “He said that (allowance) race did not take a lot out of her and he felt pretty comfortable. I texted him (Monday) and asked if everything was still good, and he said she is doing good.”
Hidden Class started her career with a second-place finish at Saratoga on Aug. 3 and then broke her maiden at Kentucky Downs. Wednesday's race will be her third in 41 days.
Hidden Class is the 7-2 morning-line favorite in the Untapable.
“The only thing that worries me is that it is kind of quick,” Atkins said.
That concern was alleviated somewhat after Adkins watched the Steve Asmussen-trained Aspenite win the $500,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile on Sunday. Aspenite was second in the boys division of the Keeneland September sales allowance on Aug. 31 and came back on short rest.
When he came to Kentucky Downs to watch Hidden Class run on Aug. 31, Atkins and girlfriend Susan Graves made the trip by car, a nine-hour journey from Virginia.
“We're flying out this time,” Atkins said with a laugh.
Built Wright Stables' Grade 2 winner Double Crown, just six days removed from competing in an out-of-town grass stakes, returned to the Maryland dirt and powered through an opening along the rail in mid-stretch en route to a 4 ½-length triumph in the $100,000 Polynesian at historic Pimlico Race Course.
The 19th running of the 1 1/16-mile Polynesian for 3-year-olds and up was the last of three stakes on opening Sunday of Pimlico's boutique nine-day fall meet, following Whiskey and Rye's victory in the $100,000 Sensible Lady, which was rained off the grass, and Swill's win in the $75,000 Challedon.
Ridden by Jeiron Barbosa, who notched seven wins over opening weekend, Double Crown ($15.80) earned his fourth career stakes victory and first since a 42-1 upset of the one-mile Kelso Handicap (G2) last October at Aqueduct.
“We knew it was going to be a short field, and last [fall] this horse won a Grade 2 on seven days' rest,” owner Norman 'Lynn' Cash said. “He's always the high odds. When he fires, it doesn't matter about the rest. We're going to give him two or three weeks of rest this time. He's one of those horses that when he fires, he's good.”
Multiple stakes winner Ournationonparade, breaking outside three of his four rivals, was intent on the lead and held it through an opening quarter mile that went in a deliberate 25.93 seconds. Zabracadabra, a winner of two straight but unraced since July 7, forced the issue in second with Un Ojo, 72-1 upset winner of the 2022 Rebel (G2), in third and Double Crown saving ground along the rail in fourth. Be Better, riding a three-race win streak that included the July 29 Deputed Testamony at Laurel Park, trailed the field.
Ournationonparade remained ahead after the half went in 49.59 still tracked by Zabracadabra as Double Crown moved into third narrowly ahead of Un Ojo on the outside and Be Better between them. Un Ojo swung three wide to challenge Zabracadabra for the lead as Ournationonparade began to fall back and Be Better was tipped to the far outside to launch his bid. Barbosa stayed patient and had plenty of room once straightened for home to rally on the inside of Ournationofparade and draw clear in 1:45.09 over a main track rated good.
Un Ojo held second, 1 ½ lengths ahead of Be Better. It was another 1 ¾ lengths back to Zabracadabra in fourth with Ournationonparade fifth.
“[Barbosa] had him in great position. He saved ground and it was a slow pace, so it was surprising that the rest of them didn't come running, too,” Cash said. “It's kind of like the day when he won the Kelso in New York. It was a slower pace and he just came through. This was a good field, too.”
Bred in Maryland by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman and Rebecca Davis, Double Crown won his 2019 debut at Laurel for trainer Lacey Gaudet before being purchased privately by Dean Reeves. At 3 he won the Roar and Carry Back, was second in the Chick Lang (G3) at Pimlico and third in the Smile Sprint (G3) for trainer Kathy Ritvo.
Double Crown ran six times for trainer Tom Amoss, including a second in the 2021 Maryland Million Sprint, before being claimed by Cash for $40,000 out of a runner-up finish last June at Churchill Downs. The 6-year-old Bourbon Courage gelding was second, beaten 7 ½ lengths by Benevengo, in last year's Polynesian.
“It seems like he's running really good. He didn't like the track at Charles Town two back and I got sucked into the turf because of the short field last time,” Cash said. “We'll probably look for a stakes similar to this. The Mid-Atlantic is full of these.”
The Polynesian is named for the 1945 Preakness (G1) winner that put together a record of 27-10-10 with purse earnings of $310,410 from 1944-47, 16 of his victories coming in stakes. Named the U.S. champion sprinter in 1947, he went on to a successful stud career most notably as the sire of Hall of Famer Native Dancer, the 1953 Preakness winner, and grandsire of 1966 Preakness winner Kauai King.
Whiskey and Rye Smooth Winner of $100,000 Sensible Lady
Mens Grille Racing's Whiskey and Rye, freshened since her prior run in late June, surged past front-running Spicy Marg exiting the far turn and kept on going through the stretch to spring a four-length upset in an off-the-turf edition of the $100,000 Sensible Lady for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting five furlongs.
Sent off at odds of 9-1, Whiskey and Rye ($20.80) came into the Sensible Lady having run fifth in the five-furlong The Very One on grass at Pimlico May 19 and second in an off-the-turf optional claimer June 23 at Delaware Park, her prior start.
“She needed a little break,” winning trainer John Robb said. “Five-eighths has been her great distance and she loves the turf, so we were looking forward to running her [on it]. But it worked out great.”
As she did last year, when she ran fourth by two lengths in the Sensible Lady, Wesley Ward-trained Spicy Marg broke sharply and quickly led the way through a quarter-mile in 22.02 seconds on a main track rated good. Whiskey and Rye and jockey Xavier Perez raced just off her right hip with 6-5 favorite Self Isolation third and Sassy Beast fourth.
Perez brought Whiskey and Rye alongside Spicy Marg midway around the turn and shifted down to the rail once clear of the pacesetter in the stretch, crossing the wire in 58.72 seconds. Sassy Beast came with a late run to edge Spicy Marg by three-quarters of a length for second, and it was another three-quarters of a length back to Self Isolation in fourth.
“I've got to give all the credit to Xavier because no one could gallop her. He changed the bit and she's been galloping for the last three weeks,” Robb said. “She laid back there and finished great.”
Whiskey and Rye now owns five wins from starts, the last eight for Robb. When trained by Hamilton Smith she ran behind current stablemate Street Lute in four stakes over the winter and spring of 2020-21. This spring's The Very One was her first stakes race on the grass.
Turf sprinter Sensible Lady took consecutive runnings of Pimlico's The Very One in 2012 and 2013, two of her seven wins in 14 starts at 3 and 4. The Street Sense filly was trained by Tim Salzman for Three Lyons Racing, who purchased her for $9,500 as a 2-year-old at Ocala's April sale. She went on to earn $436,640 from 22 starts. From May 2012 to June 2013, the filly won six stakes while racing at Pimlico, Colonial Downs, Penn National and Saratoga and placed in three others during the 10-race streak.
Swill Runs Down Al Loves Josie in $75,000 Challedon
Keuber Racing and Ten Strike Racing's Swill, off for nearly two years before making his comeback this summer, edged clear of pacesetter Al Loves Josie approaching the finish line following a stretch-long duel to capture the $75,000 Challedon for 3-year-olds and up which had never won an open sweepstakes.
It was the third start this year and second straight win for Swill ($4.40), a 5-year-old gelding that had gone 660 days between races prior to running second in his June 17 comeback at Laurel Park. Previously trained by Brad Cox before moving to his former assistant, Maryland's leading trainer Brittany Russell, he rolled to an easy optional claiming allowance victory July 20 at Colonial Downs leading into the Challedon.
“This horse always had a lot of talent,” Russell said. “Obviously, you think about stakes but he's also a gelding that had a lot of time off so it was sort of a progression. Get him back to the races was step one. He wins the two-other-than impressively, great. We were going to run him in a three-other-than, but this looked like a neat little spot to try.”
Al Loves Josie took the early initiative and was in front through a half-mile in 46.24 seconds with Grade 1-placed Borracho, the even-money favorite, racing along the rail and Swill given clean air by jockey Sheldon Russell in the two path. Swill ranged up to the leader as Borracho began to drop back on the turn and the two matched strides down the stretch until Swill nudged past inside the sixteenth pole to win by 1 ½ lengths. The winning time was 1:13.87 over a main track rated muddy.
“I wasn't worried about the track,” Russell said. “He's just the man. He'll show up.”
Swill, by Munnings, was a $265,000 yearling in July 2019 that won one of seven starts for Cox . He had run fourth in three prior stakes attempts including the 2020 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) to cap his juvenile season and the Robert Hilton Memorial in August 2021, his last start before the layoff.
“This horse always had a lot of talent. Brad had him, and they chose to give him some time off. It was sort of one of those things, kick him out in a big field 24-7 and let him just be a horse,” Russell said. “I don't want to say he was forgotten about but he was left out for a long, long time. It became sort of a 'let's get him going' thing. It was a team effort. He spent some time at Fair Hill, he spent some time at Delaware and we got him down to Laurel. A nice horse, all you've got to do is get them fit and stay out of their way.”
The Challedon honors the Maryland-bred son of Challenger II that won 20 of 44 starts and $334,660 in purses from 1938 to 1942, was recognized as Horse of the Year in 1939 and 1940, and inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame in 1977. Winner of the 1939 Preakness and 1939-40 Pimlico Special, Challedon also sired 13 stakes winners before his death in 1958.
David O'Connor, U.S. Olympian and Chief of Sport for US Equestrian, leads a new three-part Learning Center series on providing a good life for horses.
O'Connor, a decorated Olympian, is no stranger to US Equestrian. O'Connor represented the USA for 20 years as an athlete, earning individual gold and team bronze medals in eventing at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics and a team silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. O'Connor joined the USEF team in his current role in October 2022. He is responsible for working with the executive team on the overall international and national sport support of the Strategic Plan initiatives including sport integrity, education, and equine and human safety and welfare. Additionally, he provides oversight of the international and national sport operations, ensuring that the sport department's short-term and long-term strategic plans align with USEF's priorities. He also focuses on strengthening relationships with stakeholder groups, such as the USOPC, FEI, and USEF's Recognized Affiliates.
In the first video, David provides an overview of social license, what it means, and how important it is for horse sports to be understood and accepted by the public as a positive experience for horses. In the second video, David explains how to create a good life for horses during competition and training. And in the third video, David shares how to ensure horses live a great life outside of competition. By demonstrating compassion and an understanding of horses mental and physical needs, we can ensure our horses live their best lives and that equestrian sport is sustainable and understood by the general public for years to come.
The International Gold Cup, one of the largest steeplechase events in the U.S., returns to Great Meadow on Saturday, Oct. 28. Gates open at 10 a.m. with the first race at noon. Tickets are now for sale online with special packages and sponsorships also available, www.vagoldcup.com or by calling 540-347-2612.
New this fall is the 1922 Club, a special VIP ticket that provides a special venue with great viewing of the race and food and drink. Space is limited so tickets must be purchased early. Parking is in addition at $100. Tickets may be purchased here.
“The fall International Gold Cup has become the premier fall event in the state,” said Al Griffin, co-chairman of the Virginia Gold Cup Association that oversees both the spring and fall events. “It is just breathtaking to be there in person where you can hear the hoofbeats and see the horses and jockeys as well as the spectacular fall foliage around the area.”
Virginia is the heart of America's horse industry. Steeped in history and agriculture, the state has long been known for its advancement of the American Thoroughbred and other breeds. According to the Virginia Horse Industry Board, there are more than 215,000 horses in Virginia.
“While the International Gold Cup is a huge fall social outing for many attendees, it also helps to support the equine industry in our region,” Griffin added.
The 2023 International Gold Cup Races are presented by Brown Advisory, Riverbed Technology, Virginia Equine Alliance, Virginia Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, Virginia Thoroughbred Association and the Virginia Equine Alliance.
About the International Gold Cup
The International Gold Cup, held every October on the same race course as its spring counterpart, the Virginia Gold Cup, is one of the largest steeplechase race meets in the country. Initially created as a venue for international participants, it still awards the highly coveted King of Spain annual trophy. The race meet includes many international jockeys and trainers who train in the U.S. It is also one of the first steeplechase meets to have sanctioned pari-mutuel wagering in the Commonwealth. Known for its quality racing, spectacular scenery and lavish tailgating, the event attracts more than 45,000 spectators annually. It is held at Great Meadow in The Plains, Va., approximately 45 minutes west of Washington, D.C. in the heart of Virginia horse country. For more information visit www.VaGoldCup.com.
