Courtlandt Farms’ TOP COMMANDER (Kingmambo) grabbed the lead from the start
of Thursday’s $150,000
Count Fleet Sprint H. (G3) at Oaklawn Park and never
looked back en route to a 1 1/2-length score under jockey Carlos Gonzalez.
Trained by Cole Norman, the bay five-year-old set quick splits of :21 4/5, :44
2/5 and :56 2/5 before finishing six furlongs on the fast track in 1:08 3/5.
Sent off the 5-2 second choice in the eight-horse field, Top Commander paid
out $7.40, $4.80 and $3.40 to his faithful supporters. Forest Grove (Forestry)
was no match for the winner, but held second by a half-length over That Tat (Faltaat),
returning $8.40 and $6.20 at 6-1. Show gave back $3.80 at 7-1, and the exotics
totaled $76 (exacta) and $288.20 (trifecta). Two Down Automatic (Smoke Glacken)
came in another length back in fourth and was followed by 5-2 favorite Ole Rebel
(Carson City), Level Playingfield (Level Sands), Engineered (Langfuhr) and
Rodeo’s Castle (Rodeo).
Bred in Kentucky by Tac Holdings Inc., Top Commander improved his record to
14-6-2-0 to go along with $172,560 in lifetime earnings. This was the bay
gelding’s first stakes win and his second straight victory following a
front-running 7 3/4-length allowance win in his seasonal bow last month. He is out of the Grade
2-placed Mackenzie Slew (Seattle Slew) and has an yearling half-sister named
Bernhardt (Out of Place) as well as an unnamed 2005 half-sister by Quiet American.