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Trainer Mike Maker Chasing Eighth Victory In John B. Connally Turf Cup

The Houston Racing Festival will take place on Sunday, Jan. 30 with a special afternoon post time of 1:45 pm (CT). The event includes six stakes, highlighted by the Grade 3, $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic. The second graded stakes feature, the G3, $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup, attracted an overflow field of 14 turf specialists.

Trainer Mike Maker has won seven of the past ten editions of the mile and one-half stakes which is run on the Connally Turf Course, named for the late Texas Governor John B. Connally. The esteemed conditioner will saddle three entrants, with a fourth possibility if Shady McGee draws in from the also-eligible list.

Maker's runners this year will include 2021 Connally runner-up, Ajourneytofreedom, who drew post position 11 at odds of 7-2. Owned by Paradise Farm Corp. and David Staudacher, the 5-year-old son of Hard Spun, will be making his 23rd career start. The bay gelding exits the H. Allen Jerkens, a 2-mile feature at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 24. Nationally prominent rider Joel Rosario, who was aboard in the Grade 2, Jockey Gold Cup last June at Belmont Park, has the call.

“He's a deep closer, so the post is really not an issue, said Maker. “This horse always runs a strong race and I have faith that Joel will figure it out.”

Paradise Farm Corp. and David Staudacher also own Malthael, who ran sixth in the H. Allen Jerkens. Claimed by Paradise Farms for a $35,000 in June at Belmont Park, he will break from post seven under up and coming young rider Reylu Gutierrez. The gelded son of Nobel Mission impressed Maker in his allowance victory at Keeneland last October.

“He ran a great race going a mile and a half at Keeneland,” said Maker. “I'm happy to give the mount to Reylu; he won a stakes for me at Finger Lakes (Blue Gator in the 2020 New York Breeders' Futurity). He's riding very well lately.”

Tide of the Sea, a 6-year-old son of English Channel, was given a freshening by Maker following his tenth-place finish in the Grade 2, Red Smith at Aqueduct on November 20. Tyler Gafflione will ride the impeccably bred turf runner who has banked $453,253 in 19 previous efforts. Tide of the Seas is owned by Three Diamonds Farm, who won three editions of the Connally with Bigger Picture.

“We gave him a break after Aqueduct,” said Maker of Tide of the Sea. “He's been training well.”

Maker's past Connally winners include Papa Bodie in 2012; Admiral Kitten in 2014; Coalport in 2015; Da Big Hoss in 2016 and a three-peat by Three Diamonds Farm's Bigger Picture who captured the 2017-2019 editions of the turf stakes. For the past two years, Maker's runners finished second to Dot Matrix in 2020 and Spooky Channel last year. With multiple entrants each year in the Connally, rounding out the exotics is not what Maker is aiming for on Sunday.

“I love coming over to Houston and winning the Connally is something I look forward to each year,” acknowledged Maker. “It will be a busy weekend, but I'm planning on winning the Pegasus and flying to Texas to get my winning streak back on track on Sunday!”

Maker's trio will have some very stiff competition from a number of quality turf runners including Fantasioso. Co-owned by Jeff Bloom and Ignacio Correas, IV, the 7-year-old Argentinian bred gelding, has won five of his 31 starts, and will make his Sam Houston debut off a third-place finish to Ajourneytofreedom in the aforementioned Allen Jerkins at Gulfstream Park. James Graham will pilot Fantasioso from post position six at morning line odds of 9-2.

“He's a seasoned veteran,” said Bloom, who purchased the son of Strategic Prince with Correas last year. “We have been looking at the Connally for some time as he's run twice at two miles, but we believe this distance will suit him. James rides a lot for Ignacio and is one of the more capable turf riders on the circuit.”

Team Block, who won the 2006 Connally with Fort Prado, returns to Houston with Another Mystery. Trained by Chris Block, the Illinois-bred son of Temple City ran sixth in the 2020 edition of this turf handicap. Jareth Loveberry will ride the 6-year-old, who captured the Bob F. Wright Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds in November.

“In the 2020 Connally, he was coming off just ten days rest, but still ran a good race,” said Block. “This is his best distance and a good to firm turf course on Sunday would be ideal. He will face a very competitive field this year but I am looking for a big effort from him.”

Trainer Joe Sharp will send in Logical Myth, a multiple-stakes winner for owner JPS Racing as well as Hierarchy, who surpassed the $400,000 earnings mark for Texas owner Carl Moore Management, LLC.

The John B. Connally Turf was awarded Grade 3 status in 2006 and boasts a solid roster of past winners including Chorwon, Warleigh, Fort Prado, Rod and Staff, Swift Warrior as well as three-time champions, Candid Glen and Bigger Picture.

The Connally Turf Cup will be run as race eight, with an approximate post time of 5:23 pm (CT).The field, from the rail, with riders and morning-line odds: Conviction Trade, Lane Luzzi, 20-1; Hierarchy, Corey Lanerie, 5-1; Tide of the Sea, Tyler Gafflione, 10-1; Strong Tide, Giovanni Franco, 10-1; Decision Maker, Marcelino Pedroza, Jr., 12-1; Fantasioso, James Graham, 9-2; Malthael, Reylu Gutierrez, 12-1; Logical Myth, Adam Beschizza, 6-1; Another Mystery, Jareth Loveberry, 8-1; Dyn O Mite, Stewart Elliott, 20-1; Ajourneytofreedom, Joel Rosario, 7-2; Parrot Head, Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez, , 30-1; Shady McGee (IRE), Richard Eramia ,30-1 and Celerity, Iram Diego, 50-1.

As previously announced, the tenth renewal of the Grade 3, $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic will run as the seventh race on the Houston Racing Festival Card. The field of seven, from the rail, with riders and morning line odds, is as follows: Velvet Crush, Ry Eikleberry, 8-1); Audrey's Time, Corey Lanerie, 7-2; Pauline's Pearl, Joel Rosario, 6-5; Becca's Rocket, Adam Beschizza, 10-1; Champagne Affair, Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez, 30-1; Golden Curl, Tyler Gafflione, 20-1, and The Mary Rose, Reylu Gutierrez 3-1.

In addition to the two graded stakes on the Houston Racing Festival card, Sam Houston Race Park will present the following features:

$200,000 Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile- 3YO -1 Mile (T)

$100,000 Pulse Power Turf Sprint – 4&up – 5 Furlongs (T)

$75,000 Jersey Lilly Turf – 4&up F&M – 1 1/16 Mile (T)

$75,000 Stonerside Sprint – 4&up – 6 Furlongs

“We are proud of our Houston Racing Festival, which continues to attract top connections and offer an exceptional afternoon of quality racing,” said Frank Hopf, Sam Houston Race Park's Assistant General Manager. “Our thanks go out to our horsemen for marking our marquee day on their calendar, as well as our tremendous racing fans who support our entire meet with great enthusiasm.”

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Late-Developing Abaan Takes On Maker Quartet In Friday’s H. Allen Jerkens Stakes

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Alex Daigneault's Abaan will be outnumbered in the $100,000 H. Allen Jerkens at Gulfstream Park Friday when the Todd Pletcher-trained 4-year-old gelding will take on four Mike Maker-trained rivals in the two-mile turf race honoring the memory of the legendary Hall of Fame trainer.

The late-developing son of Will Take Charge will also be making his stakes debut while conceding experience to the well-tried Maker trainees in the Race 10 feature on a 10-race program.

Following a three-race juvenile campaign with a pair of runner-up finishes at Churchill Downs, Abaan has demonstrated marked improvement this year after being privately purchased and transferred to Pletcher. Since switching from dirt to turf, the Kentucky-bred has won twice and finished second twice. In his most recent start, Abaan register a front-running two-length victory in a 1 3/8-mile optional claiming allowance at Aqueduct Nov. 14.

Luis Saez has the call on Abaan.

Paradise Farm Corp. and David Staudacher's Ajourneytofreedom tops the Maker contingent. The multiple graded stakes-placed son of Hard Spun finished fifth in the John's Call and won a 1 ½-mile optional claiming allowance at Saratoga in his two most recent non-graded stakes starts.

Paco Lopez is scheduled to ride the 4-year-old gelding for the first time in the Jerkens.

Michael Ryan's Bluegrass Parkway, who finished third in the 1 ½-mile Point of Entry at Belmont Park last time out; Three Diamonds Farm's Jarreau, who finished second behind Abaan in the Nov. 14 optional claiming allowance; and Paradise Farm Corp. and David Staudacher's Malthael, a 1 ½-mile optional claiming allowance winner at Keeneland two starts back; will also represent the Maker Stable Saturday.

Bloom Racing Stable and trainer Ignacio Correas IV's Fantasioso looms as a strong contender looking to his second-place finish in the two-mile Belmont Gold Cup (G2) in June. Rice Racing's On Base, trainer Marcy Brooks' Cheyenne's Colonel, San Jose de Ecuador and Luis Duco Stable Inc.'s Nixon Joy, round out the field.

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Maker Fully Loaded For Kentucky Downs Turf Cup

As usual, Mike Maker, the all-time leading trainer at Kentucky Downs, is very well-armed for the $1 million, Grade 2 Calumet Turf Cup Saturday.

Maker is scheduled to saddle five of the 12 horses in the 1 1/2-mile race. While it is already a personal best for him in the race, it is possible he could have half the field if Dynadrive draws in from the also-eligible list. This will be the eighth-straight year that Maker, 52, has had two or more starters in one of the track's premier races, which he has won a record four times. He has had at least one horse finish in the money seven straight years.

The Calumet Turf Cup, one of the five graded stakes on Saturday's program, is a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” race and will be broadcast live on NBC.

Maker has made it clear that he points for this race and will start as many runners as he can. He has built a solid reputation for developing horses – many of whom he has claimed – that can go long on the grass.

“I have a lot of horses that can go a mile and a half on the grass, there are limited opportunities and this purse is always lucrative,” he said.

Maker said he developed his ability with distance-loving turf horses earlier in his career when he worked for breeder-owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey.

“I had a lot of offspring by Kitten's Joy,” he said, naming the Ramsey's prominent turf stallion. “You have to play the hand you're dealt.”

According to Equibase stats, Maker has saddled a record 22 starters in the Turf Cup and his purse earnings of $2,225,240 is a record, nearly $1 million ahead of Brad Cox. He quietly served notice that he might do well in the race by finishing second with his first starter, Stream of Gold, in 2008. Since 2014 he has had at least two runners. Twice he has sent out four runners. In 2018, his horses finished second, third, fourth and fifth. His record in the race from the 22 starts is 4-2-4.

This year, Maker has Three Diamonds Farm's Tide of the Sea in post 4; Michael Ryan's Bluegrass Parkway in post 6; Paradise Farm's and David Staudacher's Ajourneytofreedom in 8; Three Diamonds' Glynn County in 9 and Michael Hui's 8-year-old Zulu Alpha, who won in 2019 and was third last year, in 11.

“Glynn County was a Kitten's Joy and only had a couple of starts when we got him,” Maker said. “He's a nice horse and I think you're going to hear a lot of him in the future. He ran well at Arlington (third in the G1 Mr. D). I think he's one of my better chances.

“Tide of the Sea is an English Channel who was bought out of the sale. Bluegrass Parkway was sent to me with these type of races in mind. The first we ran him I think was a mile and three-eighths race he won, a conditioned allowance race. Ajourneytofreedom was bred for these type of races and that's why we claimed him. Obviously, Zulu Alpha doesn't need any explanation.”

All five of Maker's runners are stakes veterans and Tide of the Sea and Zulu Alpha are graded stakes winners.

Zulu Alpha, a Grade 1 winner and $2.27 million-earner, has not hit the board in his two starts in 2021, but Maker said that is too small of a sample to judge him. In the Mr. D at Arlington Park on Aug. 14, he was a non-factor.

“It was slow paced and didn't suit him,” Maker said. “We're going to cross it out and bring him to the track he loves. I think it should be a strong pace Saturday with Tide of the Sea and Channel Cat.”

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Spooky Channel Gets Perfectly Timed Ride To Win John B. Connally Turf Cup

Trainer Mike Maker had his streak of six consecutive victories in the John B. Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston, Texas, snapped last year when Brad Cox-trained Dot Matrix defeated Bemma's Boy and Marzo from Maker's deep stable of turf runners.

Maker came loaded again this year, with three starters in Sunday's $200,000, Grade 3 Turf Cup, just as he did in 2020. Once again, however, he had to settle for the minor awards as 3-2 favorite Spooky Channel, from the Brian Lynch stable, collared Maker's pace-setting Conviction Trade inside the furlong pole, then held off a furious late rally by Maker-trained Ajourneytofreedom to win by a neck.

Spooky Channel, a 6-year-old English Channel gelding owned by Terry Hamilton, was clocked in 2:30.94 on a firm grass course for the 1 1/2 miles of the Turf Cup. He paid $5 for the win, his ninth in 18 career starts. Ajourneytofreedom finished a length ahead of Conviction Trade, giving Maker a 2-3 finish for the second year in a row. Tenfold was fourth for trainer Steve Asmussen, with Ken McPeek-trained Signalman fifth in the field of a dozen older runners.

The John B. Connally Turf Cup was one of six stakes – two of them graded – offering over $1 million in purses on Sunday's Houston Racing Festival as Sam Houston Race Park in Houston, Texas,

It was a big day for the track, with a record $5.3 million wagered on the 10-race card.

“We are thrilled with the success of this year's Houston Racing Festival and getting a record handle of $5.3 million,” said Frank Hopf, senior director of racing. “It was a team effort from everyone at Sam Houston and our thanks go out to all the horsemen and owners for supporting our meet. This would not be possible without our horseplayers, both here in Texas and nationally. It was a great day.”

Leparoux allowed Spooky Channel to settle into fifth position after breaking from the 10-post in the three-turn Turf Cup. Rafael Hernandez put Conviction Trade in front from the start, going an opening quarter mile in :24.57, a half mile in :48.97 and six furlongs in 1:14.00. Leparoux began asking Spooky Channel to pick it up with a half mile to run, the mile clocked in 1:40.52, and by the time they reached the quarter pole, after 1 1/4 miles in 2:05.67, he was on the front-runner's right flank.

Conviction Trade fought back and maintained a half-length lead with a furlong to run, but Spooky Channel finally put him away just as Ajourneytofreedom and Jesus Castanon emerged on the scene with a powerful stretch rally that came up just short at the wire.

“I have ridden him before and felt he would like this turf course,” said Leparoux. “Brian and I talked and we knew he would have enough to come off the pace and make his run. He left it up to me and the horse did exactly what he hoped for.”

Spooky Channel began his racing career for Hamilton in Arizona in the care of trainer Clay Brinson, winning six of his first eight starts at Turf Paradise, including the 1 7/8-mile Hasta La Vista Handicap.

After shipping east and being transferred to Lynch's barn (following one off-the-board finish at Canterbury Park), Spooky Channel has won three of nine, including the G3 W.L. McKnight Stakes at Gulfstream Park in January 2020. Following a sixth-place finish in the G1 Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park last July 4, was given some time off, then returned to be fourth in the G2 Ft. Lauderdale at Gulfstrealm Park on Dec. 12. He trained up to the Turf Cup at Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida.

“It was exciting to be part of the big stakes day at Sam Houston Race Park,” said Lynch from his base in South Florida. “Spooky Channel is a true marathoner and ran a great race. Julien is a multiple Eclipse winning rider and I am one of his biggest fans. I am grateful to my owner Terry Hamilton, who is also a great friend.”

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