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Lane Way Takes Eddie D Stakes For Hall Of Famers Mandella, Smith

Call 'em the Sunshine Boys. Hall of Famers Richard Mandella, 71, and Mike Smith, 58, combined more than 90 years of racing experience as they teamed for victory in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Eddie D Stakes at Santa Anita, as veteran 6-year-old gelding Lane Way attended the pace and kept grinding his way to a half-length score, getting 6 ½ furlongs out of the turf chute in 1:14.47.

Named for the legendary Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye, the Eddie D was moved from the hillside turf course to the turf chute earlier in the day due to approximately two-fifths of an inch of rain.

Breaking sharply, Lane Way was a joint third, about 2 ½ lengths off longshot Noble Reflection, as the field crossed the main track shortly after the break. Smith was then able to work his way closer at the rail in the run to the far turn and was a length off the leader to his outside turning for home. From there, he kept to his task, gaining the ascendancy a sixteenth out.

Away five months prior to finishing fifth in Del Mar's Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at five furlongs Sept. 2, Lane Way was off as 9-5 favorite in a field of 11 and returned $5.60, $3.00 and $2.60.

A Kentucky-bred by Into Mischief, Lane Way is owned by MyRacehorse, which had about 150 people in the Winner's Circle. In garnering his first graded stakes win, Lane Way earned $120,000 and improved his overall race record to 19-5-6-5.

French-bred Bran, about two lengths off the lead at the top of the lane, finished well, prevailing by a nose over Noble Reflection for second money. Off at 7-2 with Juan Hernandez, Bran paid $4.00 and $2.60.

Off at 15-1 with Mario Gutierrez, Noble Reflection paid $6.80 to show while finishing a half length better than Irish-bred I'm A Gambler.

Fractions on the Eddie D, run over at turf listed as good, were 23.39, 45.86 and 1:08.49.

JOCKEY QUOTES
MIKE SMITH, LANE WAY, WINNER: “It is just an honor to win the Eddie D Stakes I look up to him and still do. I tried to ride him like he would so I come in and nail them at the last part. Just going from the five to the six, six and a half it is just much better for him. He was just coming off a layoff last time, he made a nice late run but he got a little tired in the end. He got so much out of that, and he should get so much out of this, it should put us right where we need to be come Breeders' Cup time.

“Mr. Mandella and his crew they did all the work.”

TRAINER QUOTES
RICHARD MANDELLA, LANE WAY, WINNER: “He is just a really nice horse. We gave him a good rest. Kind of planned to get him at his best at this time of year and it worked. It doesn't always, but it worked this time.”

(ON SWITCHING THE RACE TO THE CHUTE ON THE TURF): “No. I was just hoping for some good luck because he's kind of plagued with bad luck in some of his races. Today went perfect.”

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Dr. Schivel Lands Santa Anita Sprint Championship For Second Time, To Aim For Breeders’ Cup

Dr. Schivel battled Speed Boat Beach through the final furlong and dug in to narrowly prevail in the $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) Saturday.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez for trainer Mark Glatt, the 5-year-old son of Violence won the race for the second time in three years—he landed the 2021 edition by a comfortable 3¼ lengths in wire-to-wire fashion but had to call upon all his reserves to win by a head Saturday.

Dr. Schivel returned $6.80 for the win after completing the six furlongs in 1:08.49 on a track rated as wet fast and stamped himself as a horse to watch for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) Nov. 4 at the Arcadia, Calif. track. He came tantalizingly close to winning the 2021 edition of the Sprint, run at Del Mar, when finishing second by a nose to Aloha West after taking that year's Sprint Championship.

Speed Boat Beach, who pressed early pacesetter Sir Atticus through a half mile in Saturday's race, led by a head in early stretch but the winner, who chased from third early, came calling to his inside and ultimately proved too strong.

Fort Bragg finished third, 1 1/4 lengths behind Speed Boat Beach.

Owned by Red Baron's Barn LLC, Rancho Temescal, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, and breeder William A. Branch, Dr. Schivel was off for nearly all of 2022. He was a 4¼-length classified allowance winner going six furlongs May 23 in his seasonal2023 debut three starts back at Santa Anita, then was a well-beaten fifth behind Cody's Wish in the Metropolitan (G1) June 10 at Belmont Park, and was most recently third, beaten a neck, by The Chosen Vron in the Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) May 13 at Del Mar.

With Saturday's win, Dr. Schivel improved his overall record to 7-2-3 from 14 starts. The $120,000 winner's share of the Santa Anita Sprint Championship purse boosted his lifetime bankroll to $1,327,100.

Bred in Kentucky by Branch and Arnold R. Hill, Dr. Schivel was produced by the Mining for Money mare Lil Nugget.

Santa Anita Sprint Championship Quotes

JOCKEY JUAN HERNANDEZ, DR. SCHIVEL, WINNER: “He broke a step slow but, after the first sixteenth, he got me there. He recovered really well, I was tracking the leaders and that was the plan because this track today, it's pretty fast so you don't want to be too far back. Plan A came out perfect, I just was waiting for something to come through. Around the turn, I saw a little bit of space inside on the rail, so I asked him to get into that position. He was really game today. He was fighting.

“He was really brave. He's a really professional horse. Mark Glatt brought him ready today. When I asked him to pick it up and to open up, he did.
“I was watching the horse on the outside because I was trying to get him. I knew he was there the whole time. We made it.”

TRAINER MARK GLATT, DR. SCHIVEL, WINNER: “The whole plan was to take the same path we did in 2021 and it worked really well that year. It was within an inch of working terrific, but you know I think these sprinters want to run a little fresh and at the same time I like the four weeks out from the Breeders' Cup. Four or five weeks. He got a good race under his belt.

“The ownership group is wonderful to train for they always allow me to do what is good for the horse, he's had his vacations and we've had to be patient. In some cases at times we had to be double patient and that's why he is around still because he wasn't pushed once he gave us the warning light. Hopefully he has one more good one in him and then he gets to go on to his second career.”

CO-OWNER TIM COHEN (Red Baron's Barn LLC, Rancho Temescal LLC), DR. SCHIVEL, WINNER: “I think Juan rode him pretty much the whole way. I don't think her really enjoyed the ground but he just preserved and kept going.”

BREEDERS' CUP?: “But of course!”

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Air Recruit Impresses In Laurel Futurity, Breeders’ Cup Could Be Option ‘If We Can Get In’

Mark Grier's Air Recruit, third behind one of the top juveniles in the country three weeks ago, put his own talent on display and has his connections considering the Breeders' Cup with an impressive 5½-length victory in Saturday's $100,000 Laurel Futurity at Laurel Park.

The 97th running of the Futurity for 2-year-olds anchored four stakes worth $500,000 in purses on opening weekend of Laurel's calendar year-ending fall meet, following wins by Brocknardini in the $150,000 Selima, Yamato in the $100,000 Japan Turf Cup, and multiple graded stakes winner Interstatedaydream in the $100,000 Twixt.

Aboard for the third time in as many races for trainer Arnaud Delacour, jockey Charlie Marquez was able to get Air Recruit into a rhythm in his two-turn debut following back-to-back 5½-furlong turf sprints at Colonial Downs, winning his Aug. 5 unveiling before running up against multiple stakes winner No Nay Mets in the Sept 9 Rosie's.

“He went short the first two times out and the first time he really surprised us. We sat right behind the speed and came flying and was able to win,” Marquez said. “We put him back in the stake at Colonial and he ran a huge race. The [winner is a] very nice horse. We knew that he wanted to go longer so we stretched him out today and you guys saw what he did.”

It was 2-1 favorite Tropenhagen, a debut winner Sept. 3 at Monmouth Park, that took the early initiative in the Laurel Futurity and went the first quarter mile in :24.04 pressed by Wine Collector, exiting the With Anticipation (G3) at Saratoga. Dancing Mischief, who graduated in an off-the-turf maiden special weight Aug. 18 at Saratoga in his prior start was third, with Marquez and Air Recruit well-placed in fourth.

“I think Charlie did a great job because he was a little sharp coming from sprinting,” Delacour said. “He broke on top, but he did manage to get him to settle. He didn't really get in a fight with him. He just did a great job to make him drop the bit and after that he just waited and came around. That's the way I saw the race, and it was great. He should learn something from this.”

Tropenhagen continued to lead through a half-mile in :49.16 while Marquez and Air Recruit worked their way into second after six furlongs went in 1:14.43. After saving ground along the rail, Marquez tipped Air Recruit to the outside leaving the far turn and set him down for a drive that saw him open up on his rivals and win in 1:46.95 over a turf course rated as good.

“I knew [Tropenhagen] was going to be really fast out of there and I knew Air Recruit was going to have some early speed, but we broke and I was able to get him tucked in. He relaxed for me, and I was able to have a dream trip,” Marquez said. “He was going comfortably the whole way. The first five strides he was on the bit, but he was able to relax and he was playing with his ears down the backside. Once I got him outside it was game on.”

Massif edged 22-1 long shot Blue Creek by a nose for second, with Wine Collector another 1¼ lengths back in fourth. They were followed by Mortal Sin, Understudy Kitty, Sasse's Class, Skellig Island, Grand Kingdom, Dancing Mischief, Tropandhagen and Elevated Game. Edgartown, Blame the Tux and main-track-only entrants Thedingoateyobaby and Bolt of Aurum were scratched.

Air Recruit is a chestnut son of European Group 1 winner Air Force Blue out of the Arch mare Werewolf. Bred in Kentucky by Springhouse Farm, he fetched $105,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale, where Paramount Sale consigned him. He is based with Delacour at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md.

“He always showed a lot of speed,” Delacour said. “His first breeze from the gate he went like :47 [seconds] in hand, so we knew we had something. I didn't know about the distance, to be honest. That was kind of an experiment, but it was the right time to do it after two races. Hopefully it doesn't bother him.

“We'll look at our options,” he added. “Depending on how he comes back and stuff, if we can get in the Breeders' Cup it could be an option. He did it impressively enough that we could give him a shot – if we get in.”

Ready to Purrform won the 2021 Laurel Futurity and went on to capture the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (G2) at Saratoga in 2022. Last year's off-the-turf Laurel Futurity winner, Congruent, ran eighth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and won the John Battaglia Memorial in March at Turfway Park.

The Laurel Futurity has a rich history dating back to 1921 inaugural winner Morvich, who would go on to win the 1922 Kentucky Derby. The Futurity has also been won by Triple Crown champions Affirmed, Citation, Count Fleet and Secretariat along with such horses as Barbaro, In Reality, Honest Pleasure, Quadrangle, Riva Ridge, Spectacular Bid and Tapit.

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More Than Looks Powers From Next To Last For Jefferson Cup Victory

More Than Looks displayed an impressive closing kick to rally from the back and easily win Saturday's 43rd running of the $200,000 Jefferson Cup for 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs by 2¾ lengths over Smokey Mandate.

Ridden by Cristian Torres and trained by Cherie DeVaux, More Than Looks had one horse beat in the early stages of the two-turn turf race as Gaslight Dancer dictated the pace and led the field of nine through early fractions of :23.77, :47.73, and 1:12.08. As the field left the final turn, More Than Looks still had one horse beat when he was asked for his best run and responded willingly with an impressive run down the center of the stretch to collar Smokey Mandate inside the final sixteenth of a mile.

“He settled well from just off the pace and closed strongly down the lane,” Torres said. “The pace wasn't too fast but he handled it well, and I'm proud of how he ran today.”

More Than Looks clocked one mile on the firm Matt Winn Turf Course in 1:36.55 and won for the fourth time in seven career starts for owner Anthony Bartolo's Victory Racing Partners.

The $119,280 winner's share boosted the More Than Ready colt's earnings to $453,215. Previously, More Than Looks finished third in the Hall of Fame (G2) on Aug. 11 at Saratoga after winning the $250,000 Manila (G3) in June at Belmont Park .

“I thought there would be a little more pace in the race when looking at it on paper,” DeVaux said. “The race ended up unfolding OK and he was able to close well. This was one of the first times he really put his head down and ran through the wire. Sometimes he got a little green and would hang a little bit once he got in front. I'm thrilled for all of the partners involved with this horse.”

More Than Looks paid $5.26 as the 8-5 favorite. Smokey Mandate, ridden by James Graham, finished 3 1/2 lengths to the good of third-place finisher Worthington.

Ocean Pointe was fourth and was followed by Noises Off, Ocean Vision (GB), Gaslight Dancer, Tiverton (GB), and Midnight West. Desert Duke and Endpoint were scratched.

Out of the Harlan's Holiday mare Ladies' Privilege, More Than Looks was bred in Kentucky by Hinkle Farms. He was a $130,000 Keeneland September yearling sale purchase from his breeder in 2021.

DeVaux said More Than Looks would likely be aimed at the $300,000 Bryan Station (G3) at Keeneland on Oct. 28 for his next start and a possible follow-up run in the $300,000 Hollywood Derby (G1) at Del Mar on Dec. 2.

The Jefferson Cup, which returned to the stakes schedule following a three-year hiatus, is named in honor of Jefferson County, the most populous county in Kentucky which Churchill Downs resides.

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