Phipps Stable’s homebred VACATION (Dynaformer) landed in the right spot in
Saturday’s $100,000
Hanshin Cup H. (G3), drawing clear to a convincing 2 1/4-length victory at
Arlington Park. Trained by Shug McGaughey and ridden by John Velazquez, the
four-year-old colt recorded his first stakes win when completing a mile in 1:36
2/5 over the Polytrack, and he paid $9.20, $6.20 and $4 as the 7-2 third choice
among eight rivals.
Spotgone (Bright Launch) set a contested opening quarter-mile in :24 before
giving up the lead to Voy Por Uno (Mazel Trick), who reached the half-mile mark
in :46 4/5 with a 2 1/2-length advantage over Vacation in second. The eventual
winner rallied five wide into the stretch with plenty of momentum, striking the
front and opening up by a length as he passed the seven-furlong point of call in
1:23 2/5, and Vacation was never threatened in the final furlong.
Dominican (El Corredor), who altered course to the outside after being
blocked in upper stretch, closed well for runner-up honors at 9-2 and gave back
$5.80 and $3.60. It was 1 3/4 lengths back to third-placer and 3-1 favorite
Cherokee Artist (Cherokee Run), who gave back $3.20. The exotics yielded $55.40
(exacta), $191.80 (trifecta) and $1,069.80 (5-3-2-7 superfecta). Amazing Results
(Grand Slam) filled the fourth slot at 8-1 and was followed under the wire by
Stonehouse (Chester House), Voy Por Uno, Spotsgone and Coragil Cat (Forest
Wildcat).
The winner likes the Polytrack, entering the Hanshin Cup off a win and a
close third in a pair of allowances at Keeneland, and Vacation has now earned
$227,463 from a 19-3-5-7 line. The bay recorded a second in both the Saranac S.
(G3) and Pass the Tab S. last season.
The Kentucky-bred is out of multiple Grade
2 winner and multiple Grade 1 runner-up Country Hideaway (Seeking the Gold), an
earner of $762,568, and is a half-sibling to multiple Grade 2 queen Boca Grande
(A.P. Indy), the juvenile colt Surreptitiously (Awesome Again) and a yearling
colt by Bernardini. This is the immediate female family of 2005 Breeders’ Cup
Distaff (G1) winner Pleasant Home (Seeking the Gold) and multiple Grade 1
victress Pine Island (Arch). Vacation’s third dam is multiple Grade 1 winner Maplejinksy (Nijinsky II), who hails from champion sprinter Gold Beauty (Mr.
Prospector) and is the dam of champion Sky Beauty (Blushing Groom [Fr]). Tale of
Ekati (Tale of the Cat) is a recent multiple Grade 1 winner from this female
line.