Master Piece (CHI) registered a 99 Beyer Speed Figure from his triumph in Saturday's Red Smith (G2) going 1 3/8 miles on the Aqueduct Racetrack inner turf.
Trained by Rick Dutrow, Master Piece equaled the number he earned when capturing last year's Eddie Read (G2) at 1 1/8 miles at Del Mar for his former conditioner Michael McCarthy. The 7-year-old Mastercraftsman ridgling ended a seven-race losing streak with his come-from-behind performance in the Red Smith under Jose Lezcano, fending off a late inside rally from multiple Grade 1-placed Soldier Rising to win by a neck.
“He looks good this morning; looks like he's happy,” Dutrow said. “He was good yesterday, that's for sure. He certainly liked that grass course. He got everything his way. It was a beautiful trip and a great ride. All good stuff and I hope it happens again.”
Master Piece joined Dutrow's stable earlier this summer following a pair of third-place finishes at Gulfstream Park graded stakes level for his previous trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. He made his first start for Dutrow when second in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claimer on July 4 over a yielding Widener turf at Belmont Park before finishing a distant tenth in the Arlington Million (G1) on August 12 at Colonial Downs.
Dutrow said the turnaround in form could be due to the cooler autumn weather.
“When he came into us, he got sick and he had to be taken to the clinic for a few days,” Dutrow said. “After we brought him back, he's been doing well. Sometimes the hot weather gets to him. I think he reacts to it, so I was very happy to see him run in the cool weather. I feel that he really likes that a lot better. I hope that in his next few starts he gets to run under conditions that help him.”
Saturday's winning performance could propel Master Piece to the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park, where he was seventh in last year's edition of the $1-million race, but Dutrow said he will speak to the ownership group before confirming any plans. Master Piece is owned by Michael Iavarone, Julia Iavarone, Nicholas Zoumas, Dino Baccari, Frank Argano, and Peter Douglass.
“Right now, he's just going to hang out where he is until we decide everything on him. We'll go from there,” Dutrow said.
The Red Smith conquest added to recent high-level prosperity for the Dutrow barn, which also includes a victory in last Saturday's Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita with White Abarrio. The 4-year-old gray son of Race Day earned a third career Grade 1 victory in the Classic, which came three months following a score in the Whitney (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.
Owned by C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa, White Abarrio has his sights set on the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) in February at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.
The following day, the Dutrow-trained juvenile colt Where's Chris captured Aqueduct's listed Nashua at 19-1 odds by three-quarters of a length over two-time stakes-winner Book'em Danno.
“All three of those horses that ran big were training big,” Dutrow said. “We were very excited to watch the two white horses run. Chris was just filling in the race until he turned for home. We just had a lot of fun watching all three of them run.”
Dutrow said he would consider the $250,000 Remsen (G2) on Dec. 2 going 1 1/8miles at the Big A for Where's Chris, a son of Twirling Candy.
“He ran big the other day,” Dutrow said. “Might as well look at it. The horse looks like he's doing well.”
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