Grade 3 winner and 2005 Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up CLOSING ARGUMENT
(Successful Appeal) was represented by his first winner on Friday as his
juvenile daughter Midst rebounded from a second-place finish earlier in the
Keeneland meet to win the 6TH race at the Lexington, Kentucky, oval. Under
Miguel Mena, Midst was soon on top after the start, set fractions of :22 and :44
1/5, and passed the wire 4 1/4 lengths in front, clocking 4 1/2 furlongs on the
Polytrack in :50 1/5. Midst is owned by Heiligbrodt Racing Stable and is trained
by Mark Casse.
Campaigned by Philip and Marcia Cohen, Closing Argument broke his maiden at
Saratoga in his debut, then ran four more times as a juvenile, taking the NATC
Futurity at Delaware Park in his second start as well as finishing third in the
In Reality division of the Florida Stallion S. and second in the Jack Price
Juvenile S. He ended his two-year-old campaign with a game second in the rich
Delta Jackpot S., then returned off a two-month break to take the Holy Bull S.
(G3) at Gulfstream Park in his sophomore debut.
That win and a third in the Blue Grass S. (G1) earned the Kiaran McLaughlin
trainee a berth in the Kentucky Derby, where he finished second by only a
half-length to Giacomo. Closing Argument made his final career start in the
Preakness S. (G1), where he was unplaced.
Closing Argument retired with a mark of 9-3-3-2 record and $986,984 in
lifetime earnings. Produced from the unraced Mrs. Greeley (Mr. Greeley), the
seven-year-old currently stands at Hill ‘N’ Dale Farm near Lexington for a fee of
$12,500 live foal.