David Carroll | Horse Racing Free Tips

War Of Will Adds To Grade 1 Résumé With Maker’s Mark Mile Victory On Keeneland Turf

Gary Barber's War of Will eased past longshot Parlor in the final yards to win the 32nd running of the $300,000 Maker's Mark Mile (G1) for 4-year-olds and up by a nose Friday afternoon at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

With Tyler Gaffalione aboard, War of Will raced in the clear after breaking from post 10 and tracked the pace set by High Crime and Parlor, who raced through fractions of :23.17 and :46.91.

Approaching the stretch, Parlor put away High Crime, completing six furlongs in 1:11.09. Under Florent Geroux, Parlor opened a daylight advantage but was unable to hold off the final surge from War of Will and Gaffalione.

“Getting the last race out of the way (May 25 Shoemaker Mile-G1 at Santa Anita on the turf) got the nerves out,” said Gaffalione. “Taking the blinkers off helped him relax beautifully going around there. And when I called on him he finished up nicely.”

Trained by Mark Casse, War of Will covered the mile on a firm turf course in 1:34.55. It is the first Maker's Mark victory for Casse and Gaffalione.

“We're so excited,” said Casse, who was not at Keeneland, where War of Will was saddled by assistant trainer David Carroll. “It's great for everybody. We're just so excited.

“Tyler gave him a tremendous ride,” Casse added. “I wasn't sure (at the finish if he won). I wasn't sure until they put (his number) up. (My wife) Tina and I were just jumping up and down. It's means so much to the horse. We love him so much. And it means so much for a stallion prospect and everything (to be a Grade 1 winner on dirt and turf). Gary Barber and I will have to talk about (if he goes back to dirt or remains on turf). But everyone knows how much we love him, and it's so wonderful.”

The victory was worth $180,000 and increased War of Will's earnings to $1,796,069 with a record of 16-5-1-2 that includes a Grade 1 dirt victory in last year's Preakness.

A Keeneland sale graduate, War of Will is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of War Front out of the Sadler's Wells mare Visions of Clarity (IRE).

War of Will returned $13.80, $6.80 and $3.60. Parlor paid $20.40 and $7 and finished a neck in front of favored Raging Bull (FR), who paid $2.40 to show under Joel Rosario.

It was another half-length back to Without Parole (GB), who was followed in order by Emmaus (IRE), English Bee, Hembree, High Crime, Everfast and Next Shares.

“That was a tough one to lose,” said Mike Maker, Parlor's trainer. “He's had a tough trip last couple of times and I thought he had a good chance today. He ran his race. I sure thought he was going to hang on. He got out of the gate well and handled the turf well. No excuse. He was just second best.”

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March To The Arch Out To Defend His Wise Dan Effort This Saturday At Churchill

Live Oak Plantation's 2019 Wise Dan (Grade II) winner March to the Arch will attempt a repeat victory in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile turf event but needs to rebound from a puzzling 10th-place effort in last month's Grade I Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita.

“I've only been around him for a little while but you'd have to assume he just didn't like it in California,” trainer Mark Casse's locally based assistant David Carroll said. “It was just such a puzzling effort where he didn't show much run at all. The thing of it is, his form in all of his previous races was very good. He's run some very nice efforts over the last year that if you draw a line through that race, he fits right in with this field. We know what he did in last year's race and hopefully he can run right back to that effort once again.”

Saturday's $200,000 Wise Dan presented by Ford (GII) is the featured event on the 11-race program and will go as Race 9 at 5:01 p.m. (all times Eastern) The race will share the stakes spotlight with the inaugural running of the $100,000 Audubon presented by TwinSpires.com at 1 1/8 miles on turf for 3-year-olds. The Audubon is carded as Race 6 at 3:25 p.m.

March to the Arch is the 5-1 third choice on the morning line behind multiple graded stakes winner Factor This (8-5) and stakes winner Parlor (9-2). March to the Arch is not a stranger to pulling off an upset; he won last year's Wise Dan at odds of 10-1 when he surged to the front past 2-1 favorite Admission Office. March to the Arch, a now 5-year-old son of Arch, finished a half-length in front of Parlor in last year's event.

Following his Wise Dan victory last June, March to the Arch was winless until he defeated Florida-breds on Jan. 18 in the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Turf at Gulfstream Park. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione was aboard March to the Arch for 10 of his 21-career starts but he opted to ride Parlor in Saturday's race leaving the six-time winner in the hands of Florent Geroux.

The complete field for the Wise Dan from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Just Howard (Rafael Bejarano, Graham Motion, 10-1); English Bee (James Graham, Motion, 10-1); Factor This (Shaun Bridgmohan, Brad Cox, 8-5); Eons (Adam Beschizza, Arnaud Delacour, 50-1); Aquaphobia (Corey Lanerie, Mike Maker, 6-1); Ritzy A.P. (Declan Cannon, Jack Sisterson, 20-1); March to the Arch (Florent Geroux, Mark Casse, 5-1); Emmaus (IRE) (Brian Hernandez, Connor Murphy, 15-1); Casa Creed (Martin Garcia, Bill Mott, 15-1); Hembree (Gerardo Corrales, Maker, 12-1); and Parlor (Tyler Gaffalione, Maker, 9-2).

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‘All Systems Are Go’ For Derby Contender War Of Will After ‘Exceptionally Good’ Breeze

Gary Barber's War of Will breezed 5 furlongs in 1:00.20 over a sealed muddy surface at Keeneland Friday when the track opened at 5:30 a.m. In company with maiden winner Battle of Memphis, War of Will clocked splits of :24.40 and :48.60 and galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:13.60.

“He trained beautifully all week, and he definitely has progressed from his last breeze,” David Carroll, assistant to trainer Mark Casse, said. “All indications were that he would go exceptionally good today, and we saw that. We couldn't be any happier. All systems are go at the moment.”

With 60 qualifying points, War of Will has a guaranteed place in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on May 4.

At Fair Grounds this year, War of Will won the Risen Star Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) and Lecomte (G3). On March 23, he was ninth in the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) after losing his footing at the start. He arrived at Keeneland four days later.

On April 13 at Keeneland, War of Will breezed 5 furlongs from the gate in :59, the best of 44 at the distance.

”Each day he seems to be getting better,” Carroll said. “He cooled out beautifully this morning. (Track Superintendent Javier Barajas) put a good seal on the track and it had a really good bottom on it today. He does a tremendous job on the track.”

Carroll said no decision has been made about when War of Will would ship to Churchill Downs.

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