Shortleaf Stable's homebred Vivar held off the late charge of Therapist to win the inaugural running of the $175,000 Chorleywood Overnight Stakes on Saturday at Ellis Park.
Named in honor of the Thoroughbred retirement farm located in Prospect, Ky., the 1 ¼-mile Chorleywood was completed in 2:04.20 over the firm turf course.
Vivar, trained by Robert Medina and ridden by Julien Leparoux, sat third in the early stages of the Chorleywood, two lengths behind pacesetting Hidden Stash and Punch Hard. Around the opening turn, Hidden Stash continued to rate on the front-end through an opening quarter-mile of :25.46 and half-mile in :51.10. On the far turn, Leparoux tipped Hidden Stash to the two-path and he poked his nose in front of Hidden Stash. Inside the eighth pole, Therapist began to reel in Vivar but could not get by at the wire and finished second by a head.
“I thought the stretch out in distance would suit him better,” Medina said. “He's a son of Cairo Prince out of a Tapit mare [Debit], and so once we were able to stretch him out longer I figured it would suit him better. When he goes shorter he just seems to be a little bit too far off the early pace and it gives him a little too much to do early.”
Vivar paid $18.20 for the win. Therapist, with jockey Tyler Gaffalione in the irons, finished a neck in front of third-place finisher Hidden Stash under Martin Garcia.
Tiz the Bomb, Media Blitz, Foreign Relations, Bay Street Mone,y and Punch Hard completed the order of finish.
Vivar banked $103,854 with his victory in the Chorleywood to improve his overall earnings to $357,434. His record now stands at 13-3-2-0.
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