LOUISVILLE – One of the oldest racing dynasties of the past century vaulted into the spotlight yesterday when the Brady clan’s Mill House stable uncorked a smashing longshot winner, America Alive, in the $400,000 Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic.
Coming from dead last in a field of nine, and seemingly beaten down the backside, America Alive under Robby Albarado simply mowed ’em through the stretch to win going away at the juicy odds of 17-1.
Meteor Storm, the second choice at 3-1, ran on for second without threatening while another longshot, Quest Star at 29-1 saved third money after hitting the lead at the top of the stretch.
The veteran of many a turf war all over the country, Perfect Drift, was sent off the 5-2 favorite, but might have been the first horse beaten. Wide all the way, he threw in the bit in the stretch and beat only one horse home.
America Alive, who races in James Brady’s name, had never won a graded stake before. His best effort was a win on the grass at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans back in January, when he scrambled home by a head in an ungraded stake.
But yesterday, he emerged as a giant killer, giving nothing else a chance. Trainer Neil Howard had some anxious moments.
“I thought he was a little far back,” he said, “but he never fails to close.”
America Alive ran the nine furlongs in 1:33.22 and paid $37.60.
CHURCHILL DOWNS HANDICAP
The Kentucky Derby stakes card was launched with a shocker when two of the longest shots on the board ran the form horses off their legs to finish first and second in the Churchill Downs Handicap, setting up an $8,000 trifecta payoff and a nifty $23,559 superfecta.
The hero of the upset in the Grade 11 7-furlong sprint was Battle Won, a 16-1 outsider having only his second start back after an unproductive trip to Hong Kong last December when he finished off the board in a Grade 1 grass stake.
Trainer Charles Simon warmed him up with a grass sprint at Keeneland three weeks ago, then turned him loose back on the dirt yesterday. The move paid big dividends.
Battle Won chased Tricky Trevor to the stretch, then bounded clear and held his own all the way to the wire, 3½ lengths clear of 50-1 shot Level Playingfield. The 3-1 favorite, Pomeroy, could just hold third, a neck ahead of the second choice, Sir Shackleton.
Battle Won, ridden by the Delaware jockey champ Ramon Dominguez, paid $35.80 and nudged the track record at 1:20.56.
Said Simon: “We looked at a grass race yesterday, but I said to the owner, ‘Let’s go for the big one.’ I’m thrilled to win a race on Derby day.”
THREE CHIMNEYS JUVENILE
There were no surprises in yesterday’s $100,000 Three Chimneys Juvenile as 1-2 favorite Half Ours, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, pressed the early pace set by Dance Dailey, moved up to take a short lead around the turn, then drew off the final furlong under a vigorous hand ride to score by 41/4 lengths in :57 for five furlongs.
Five Star Holding held for second over Beacon Shine, owned by George Steinbrenner, who was off slowly.
Half Ours, a 2-year-old son of Unbridled’s Song who cost $625,000 as a yearling, is owned by the partnership of Aaron and Marie Jones and Barry Schwartz, former chairman of the New York Racing Association. It was no secret the gray colt can run; he won his debut at Keeneland in April by 103/4 lengths as the 1-5 choice.
“He ran so fast at Keeneland, I was just shocked watching how easily he won, and Johnny basically wrapped up on him at the eighth pole that day,” said Pletcher, who won the Three Chimneys with More Than Ready in 1999 and Limehouse in 2003. “It shows you how talented he is. The first couple of times I breezed the colt, it was like ‘Wow, this colt can really run, and we’re not asking him to do anything.’ ”
Half Ours paid $3 topping a $35.60 exacta.
THE TURF MILE
Horseplayers had a fearful time trying to find a favorite in the Turf Mile for fillies and mares with four of the seven runners pegged around 7-2 all through the betting.
In the windup, it didn’t matter. They got it all wrong. Miss Terrible, an Argentine import, having her first start since February and sent off at 5-1, broke smartly from the gate, took a comfortable lead-and was never headed.
The crowd finally made Warning Zone the 3-1 favorite and she didn’t hit the board. Second favorite, Sand Springs, also listed at 3-1 chased the winner all the way but could not reel her in, settling for second. Ticker Tape, 7-2 was dull while Boasting, at 4-1, never threatened.
The longest shot on the board, Shaconage, at 8-1, stormed from last through the stretch to get third.
Miss Terrible, a terror in Argentina winning eight of nine starts, came to the U.S. in 2003. She finished out of the money in two races at Hollywood Park and Saratoga. She did not return till February this year at Santa Anita where she won a 6f Grade 111 stake on the dirt under Alex Solis.
Solis was in the saddle again yesterday for trainer Bradley Ross when she was switched back to the grass for an impressive score. She paid $12.40 and ran the mile in 1:35.89, more than two seconds off the track record.
Said Ross: “She’s my only horse in training and she’s like one of my kids. I pointed her for this race all year. She’s a champ.”
HUMANA DISTAFF
For the second straight day, after 3-5 favorite Sis City ran fourth in Friday’s Kentucky Oaks, an odds-on filly coming off a runaway romp at Keeneland finished off the board in a stakes at Churchill Downs, as 2-5 choice Madcap Escapade, after setting a blazing pace, faded to fifth in the Grade 1, $250,000 Humana Distaff. My Trusty Cat, off at 10-1, won under Javier Castellano from off the pace.
The defeat was just the second in eight starts for Madcap Escapade. The first came right here in last year’s Oaks.
Last out, Madcap Escapade, trained by Frank Brothers, won the Madison at Keeneland by 43/4 lengths. In the Humana Distaff, she quickly opened daylight out of the gate and was loose on the lead down the backside under a strong hold by jockey Jerry Bailey while sizzling through fractions of :21.4 and :43.1.
Turning for home, Bailey asked Madcap Escapade for run, but rather than pulling away she began to shorten stride as the posse closed in, with My Trusty Cat, trained by David Vance, taking command inside the final furlong to score by three-quarters of a length.
My Trusty Cat ran the seven furlongs in a solid 1:21 to pay $23.00. Molto Vita continued on for second after chasing the pace, with Puxa Saco third. (p. 42 Metro)
