It’s been a long road for Tom’s d’Etat. A Kentucky-bred son of Smart Strike, the striking bay spent the first three years of his career searching for a black-type win.
American Pharoah’s Harvey’s Lil Goil Takes the GIII Regret
On a day of stellar open-length graded performances under the Twin Spires on the dirt, Harvey’s Lil Goil reminded us that the grass can be just as exciting as she gave a heart-stopping performance to win by a head. One of several in the field of 13 who already had black-type experience, the gray was prominent early and always up with the leaders, keenly tracking longshot Eve of War (Declaration of War) from the outside behind fractions of :23.26 and :47.48. Harvey’s Lil Goil collared that one at the quarter pole and powered to the front while a pesky Crystal Cliffs ducked to the inside and tested her to the wire. The Bill Mott trainee never relented, holding on by that determined head and paying a generous $24.20. It was her first time on the lawn since a fourth-place finish in her debut last November.
Breaking her maiden second time out Dec. 12 by six lengths going a mile at Aqueduct, Harvey’s Lil Goil stayed in New York for a subsequent 7 1/2-length score in the Busanda S. Feb. 2. She reappeared May 1 in Oaklawn’s GIII Fantasy S., but never factored throughout the race and finished well behind in 11th.
Pedigree Notes:
Harvey’s Lil Goil is from a family developed by her breeder, the late Harvey A. Clarke. Her dam, the unraced Gloria S., is a half-sister to the Clarke-bred champion I’ll Have Another (Flower Alley), best known as the winner of the 2012 GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. Clarke also bred the same family’s Golden Award (Medaglia d’Oro), a dual graded stakes winner last year. Clarke’s estate still owns Gloria S., who produced fillies by Cairo Prince the last two breeding seasons. Harvey’s Lil Goil is one of seven black-type winners from the first crop of American Pharoah and the fifth graded winner by the Triple Crown victor. Interestingly, four of his five graded winners have been on the turf, with the lone dirt graded winner being last week’s G3 Unicorn S. winner Cafe Pharoah in Japan.
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McCarthy Wins Four On Laurel Park Card; Outofthepark Takes Feature
Champion jockey Trevor McCarthy swept the late daily double on a pair of Jamie Ness-trained horses to complete a four-win day Saturday at Laurel Park.
McCarthy, 26, split horses at the top of the stretch and went on to win with favored It's a Journey ($4.40) in Race 10, then came with a rally on the far outside to edge Lucky Ramsey and 10-year-old Chocolate Ride at the wire aboard Minister's Strike ($15) in Race 11.
Earlier on Saturday's program, McCarthy finished first with Cal Lynch-trained Eloquent Lady ($5) in Race 3 and Anima Gemella ($6.80), racing first time for trainer Graham Motion, in Race 6.
Minister's Strike, owned by Ness' Jagger Inc., earned his ninth career win in the finale, a 1 1/16-mile starter optional claimer for 3-year-olds and up on the Kelso turf course. The 6-year-old son of champion English Channel, who went 4-for-8 in 2019, emerged from a three-way photo finish on top.
“He kicked pretty good for me at the top of the stretch when I pulled him out, and I just stayed right on Chocolate Ride's heels the whole way. He was the horse to beat. I just was following him every single step,” McCarthy said. “This horse has been such a warrior. We had such an awesome year with him last year. He's a huge barn favorite, my favorite. Usually he doesn't love this kind of ground, but he showed how much of a warrior he is and how much class he's got. He gave it all he had today.”
Represented by agent Scotty Silver, McCarthy is an 11-time meet titleholder in Maryland and the state's four-time leading rider (2013-14, 2016, 2019) who has dominated since returning to the circuit full-time in the fall of 2018.
“It was a great day. I'm super happy. I just want to thank everybody – Graham and Cal and Jamie for the double. Everything went really smooth, so I was very happy with the day,” McCarthy said. “My agent is doing a great job and it was just one of those days. Everything just kind of clicked. I was very privileged to ride some nice horses today and everything worked out well.”
Saturday Feature Sees Connections Hit One 'Outofthepark'
A belated start to 2020 hasn't slowed Hillwood Stable's Outofthepark, who ran his 4-year-old record to 2-0 with a come-from-behind victory over pacesetter Papal Law in Saturday's featured seventh race at Laurel Park.
A Maryland-bred son of 2014 General George (G3) winner Bandbox, Outofthepark ($6.40) was relentless through the stretch to reel in a stubborn Papal Law and edge past near the wire for a three-quarter-length score in the second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up over Laurel's world-class turf course.
The winning time for one mile on a firm Kelso course layout was 1:35.57. Victor Carrasco was aboard for trainer Rodney Jenkins and Hillwood's Ellen Charles.
“We were real pleased. Mrs. Charles was with me today and it was exciting,” Jenkins said. “That horse has come a long way since he was a 3-year-old. He was running at the end. He wasn't just playing around.”
Carrasco settled Outofthepark in the clear in fifth as Papal Law, one of three horses entered for a $35,000 tag, led through fractions of 24.96 and 49.07 seconds, pressed to his outside by 35-1 long shot No Bull Addiction. While Papal Law started to gain separation from the field once straightened for home, Carrasco began to roll on Outofthepark around the turn and steadily gained ground on the leader to earn his third win in the last five starts.
Papal Law was a solid second, 1 ½ lengths ahead of 9-5 favorite Taxable Goods, who came on to edge No Bull Addiction by a neck for third.
Winless in his first nine career starts, including a third in the 2018 Maryland Million Nursery second time out, Outofthepark through with a waiver maiden triumph last September, running fourth in the Maryland Million Turf in his subsequent start.
Outofthepark went unraced for seven months before returning with a three-quarter-length score using similar tactics in an entry-level allowance going 1 1/16 miles over a yielding turf at Laurel June 5. Jenkins trained Bandbox to four stakes wins and more than $390,000 in purse earnings for Charles from 2010-14 and hasn't been surprised by his son's development. Since being moved to the turf, Outofthepark has a record of 3-2-1 from seven starts.
“I think that's a Bandbox trait – the older they get, the better they get. They get stronger, they get competitive,” Jenkins said. “I just think it's a growing-up period and if you've got an owner that's patient, you'll see that more than you would with someone that would run this horse at first and then tell the trainer to get rid of him.”
Live racing returns to Laurel Park for programs Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4. Post time both days is 12:40 p.m.
Notes: South Bend, owned by Sagamore Farm of Reisterstown, Md., rallied to be second in the $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3) Saturday at Thistledown in Ohio. Laurel Park-based Lebda, a two-time stakes winner over his home track this winter, dueled for the early lead before finishing sixth in the field of 13.
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Tom’s D’Etat Gains Breeders’ Cup Classic Spot With Stephen Foster Triumph
Gayle Benson's 7-year-old Tom's d'Etat ($4.60) took control at the top of the stretch and swept to a 4 ¼-length victory under Miguel Mean in Saturday's Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., and earned an automatic berth into the $7-million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.
The Breeders' Cup Challenge is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 6-7.
Tom's d'Etat, a bay Kentucky-bred son of Smart Strike trained by Al Stall Jr., completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.30, which is the second fastest time in the history of the Stephen Foster. It was his fourth consecutive win, following victories last year in the Fayette (G2) at Keeneland, the Clark (G1) at Churchill Downs, and this year in the Oaklawn Mile at Oaklawn Park on April 11.
Tom's d'Etat, joins Capital System's Mozu Ascot, winner of the February Stakes (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse on Feb. 23, as the first two horses to earn automatic berths into the Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run at 1 ¼ miles at Keeneland.
Benson, who races under the name of GMB Racing, is the owner of the New Orleans Saints and the New Orleans Pelicans.
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