Favorite in the morning line and bet like it by the public, Miles Ahead was much the best in the 99th running of the $200,000 Thanksgiving Classic at Fair Grounds. Thursday's dominant win going six furlongs put Jay Em Ess Stable's 6-year-old Competitive Edge gelding within striking distance of the millionaire milestone.
After breaking last of seven, Miles Ahead would have to work hard early to get into position and not lose touch with the speedster Super Ocho, who shot out to the lead. At the top of the stretch, Miles Ahead switched leads and powered past the distance-challenged Super Ocho to win by 4 1/2 lengths. Super Ocho hung on for second, followed by Kavod, who was a length back in third.
Corroborated by the final time of 1:08.49, Paul McGee trainee's effort in the Thanksgiving Classic had the look of a horse running in peak form. The six-furlong track record is 1:08.03, set by Mountain General in the 2002 edition of the race, then known as the Thanksgiving Handicap.
Jefferson Parish's own Joe Talamo was in town from Kentucky to ride Miles Ahead. He made his riding debut in June 2006 at Louisiana Downs and went on to become the first apprentice jockey to win Fair Grounds' leading jockey title, accomplished at the 2006-'07 meet.
“He's a real nice horse to ride,” Talamo said of Miles Ahead. “He's definitely one who can get a little lazy early on, especially with that outside post. I had to ride him for a quarter mile to keep him in contention. When he switched leads at the top of the stretch, he exploded. I couldn't believe that final time. He was really running. He's one of those consistent horses, he's always second or third, not getting beat too far. Today he really put it all together. A testament to Paul McGee's training. I know he was coming back quickly, but he and his team did a great job with this horse.”
Thursday's win put Miles Ahead within striking distance of the millionaire status. Sitting at $932,313 in purse earnings, he boasts a 32-13-7-3 career record. On Thursday, he halted a six-race winless skid dating from his victory in the Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes Sept. 22 at Churchill Downs. His record includes a victory in the 2021 Smile Sprint Invitational (G3) at Gulfstream Park as well as a runner-up finish in the Whitmore (G3) in March at Oaklawn Park.
Chasing Time, Gilcrease, and Machine Gun Man rounded out the finishing order.
Miles Ahead was bred in Kentucky by Nicholas M. Lotz and Betsy Kelley. Produced by the Awesome Again mare Jennie R., he was a $175,000 purchase by Ellman, Melin, Plesa at the 2019 OBS March Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, where Top Line Sales consigned him.
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