Charlatan showed no signs of rust in the $300,000, Grade 1 Runhappy Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita Park, making his first start since May 2 a winning one by overpowering five opponents en route to a 4 ½-length runaway victory.
Tag: Racing
Charlatan Returns With Dominating Performance In Malibu
Charlatan, sidelined since June with an ankle injury, returned to the races with a smashing performance in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Runhappy Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., chasing speedster Nashville through the opening half-mile, putting that rival away on the turn for home, then drawing off to win by 4 1/2 lengths under Mike Smith.
Express Train rallied from last to finish second, with Collusion Illusion a half-length back in third, previously unbeaten 6-5 favorite Nashville another 3 1/4 lengths back in fourth, Independence Hall fifth and Thousand Words trailing the field of six 3-year-olds.
Charlatan traveled seven furlongs on a fast track in 1:21.50 after Nashville blitzed through fractions of :21.81 and :43.95. Charlatan was well in front at the furlong pole, stopping the timer in 1:08.54 for six furlongs.
Charlatan paid $5.20 to win as the second choice in the betting.
“That was an incredible performance off the layoff,” said Baffert.
Charlatan, a chestnut colt by Speightstown out of Authenticity, by Quiet American, was bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC and sold for $700,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He races for a partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stone Stable, Frederick Hertrich III, John D. FIelding and Golconda Stable.
No one has come close to defeating Charlatan in his four career races, though he was disqualified from his six length victory in a division of the G1 Arkansas Derby May 2 at Oaklawn Park after a post-race drug test showed the presence of lidocaine. The horse's connections have appealed the disqualification.
Charlatan broke his maiden at first asking at Santa Anita on Feb. 16, winning by 5 3/4 lengths going six furlongs. He then won a one-mile allowance race at Santa Anita on March 14, drawing off by 10 1/4 lengths. He was the 2-5 favorite in the Arkansas Derby from which he was disqualified.
Nashville, who came into the Malibu unbeaten and untested in three starts, was favored based on his track-record performance going six furlongs in the Perryville Stakes at Keeneland on the Breeders' Cup undercard on Nov. 7. Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., the Speightstown colt came to Santa Anita off a series of fast workouts at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.
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Duopoly Ships West For Brown, Wires American Oaks Field
Trainer Chad Brown-trained Duopoly made it look easy on Saturday at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as she waltzed to a front-running two-length tally going 1 1/4 miles on turf in the Grade 1, $300,000 American Oaks. Ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat, Duopoly stopped the clock at 2:01.61. on firm turf.
With a hillside start, Duopoly made the lead out of the gate effortlessly and while under a stout hold, enjoyed a length and a half advantage over favored Sharing as the field crossed under the wire for the first time. With Sharing applying pressure heading to the far turn, Prat let out a notch and from the top of the stretch home, Duopoly unfurled a genuinely Grade 1 charge to the wire in an emphatic win.
“I thought on the backside someone was going to hook up with me but lucky enough nobody did. We had a pretty nice trip,” said Prat. “She was full of herself and traveling perfect. When I asked her she really kicked in. She never really ran the distance but I guess Chad Brown doesn't come down here just to race.”
An ungraded gate to wire stakes winner at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Aqueduct Nov. 15, Duopoly was off at 6-1 in a field of 10 sophomore fillies and paid $14.00, $7.60 and $4.60.
By Animal Kingdom out of the Danehill Dancer mare Justaroundmidnight, Duopoly, who is owned by Klaravich Stables, LLC, notched her first Grade 1 victory and registered her fourth win from six starts. With the winner's share of $180,000, she increased her earnings to $308,034.
Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, the Richard Baltas-trained Going to Vegas out-finished Sharing by three quarters of a length for second money. Off at 14-1, she paid $14.00 and $7.00.
Ridden by John Velazquez for Graham Motion, Sharing, off at 8-5, had no apparent excuses and paid $3.00 to show.
Fractions on the race were 24.91, 49.67, 1:14.89 and 1:38.98.
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Fair Maiden Rallies In La Brea, Giving Jockey Ricky Gonzalez First Grade 1 Win
In a streak of Godolphin Blue, the Eoin Harty-trained Fair Maiden blew by her competition late to take Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 La Brea Stakes by 2 ¼ lengths under upstart Ricky Gonzalez. Fair Maiden, in her eighth career start, got seven furlongs in 1:22.69 on the Santa Anita main track in Arcadia, Calif.
Breaking from post position nine in a field of 10 sophomore fillies, Fair Maiden was mid-pack, about three lengths off the lead approaching the top of the lane while following the Bob Baffert-trained Golden Principal. From there, Fair Maiden, who was six-deep off the turn, easily reeled in Golden Principal for an impressive victory, which provided Gonzalez with his first-ever Grade 1 triumph.
“Eoin (Harty) said she was doing really really well, to just put her in the race,” Gonzalez said. “There were quite a few speeds. 'Just put her in the race get her clear and get her to the outside.' We hit the stretch and as soon as we hit the stretch she went on the outside and was just full of run.
On recording his first Grade 1 victory, Gonzalez said, “I was just so happy and excited, to just ride these kinds of horses, it feels great. I'm very thankful to Eoin and all the trainers for all the opportunities.”
Most recently fourth in an ungraded six furlong stakes at Keeneland Nov. 7, Fair Maiden was off at 20-1 and paid $43.20, $18.60 and $10.00.
Owned and bred by Godolphin, LLC in Kentucky, Fair Maiden is by Street Boss out of the Smart Strike mare Shieldmaiden. A minor stakes winner on turf in her third career start at Woodbine in August 2019, Fair Maiden collected her first graded stakes win on Saturday and improved her overall mark to 8-4-1-1. With the winner's share of $180,000, she increased her earnings to $321,278.
One of four Baffert trainees in the field, Golden Principal was off at 12-1 and paid $13.60 and $7.40 while finishing 1 ½ lengths in front of her stablemate Merneith.
Ridden by John Velazquez, Merneith was the second choice in the betting at 7-2 and paid $4.00 to show while finishing three quarters of length in front of post time favorite Finite, who is trained by Steve Asmussen.
Fractions on the race were 21.88, 44.59 and 1:09.92.
“It's just the way the things pan out when you get to that number two level. It's hard to find a race against really competitive company,” Harty said, when asked why he switched from synthetic surfaces and turf to dirt this year. “I didn't want to keep taking her up to Woodbine so I found a spot in Churchill (winning a six-furlong allowance race) and that was a big question mark as to whether she would handle it there and she did. She was super professional that day and gave me a lot of confidence in bringing her out here for this.
“I've been watching Ricky ride since he came down here, and I think he's the next superstar. He's brave and he puts his horse in a spot to win. I grab him in every time I can because I think he's a world-class rider, and today was his first Grade 1 win.”
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