“It was very close,” said winning rider Julien Leparoux, who had
“I didn’t really know (if he had won). It looked like I got it,
“Congratulations to Julien Leparoux,” Lopresti said. “That was a
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Now three-for-three with Leparoux in the saddle, Turallure was following up
on his convincing win in the August 26 Bernard Baruch H. (G2) at Saratoga. The
6-1 second choice relaxed near the back of the pack early, saving ground while
skimming the rail for the length of the backstretch.
As expected, Kara’s Orientation (Orientate) hustled to the early lead and
dictated splits of :23 4/5 and :47. Woodbourne (Danzig) and Courageous Cat raced
virtually in tandem in his slipstream, until the favorite commenced his bid
nearing the far turn.
Courageous Cat was traveling sweetly as he took over, clocking 1:11 for six
furlongs, and he inched clear down the lane. But he never quite gave his rivals
the slip, and a phalanx of pursuers was hot on his trail. Riding the River
(Wiseman’s Ferry), Grand Adventure (Grand Slam) and British raider Side Glance
(GB) (Passing Glance) were all bearing down without managing to overtake the
leader. Fellow shipper Dance and Dance (Ire) (Royal Applause [GB]) was
desperately seeking room behind them and failing to find it.
Then Right One erupted along the fence, the same route that Wigmore Hall
(Ire) (High Chaparral [Ire]) took successfully in the Northern Dancer Turf S.
(Can-G1) just an hour earlier. Lightning briefly appeared to strike twice, but
the real action was already unfolding on the outside.
By that point, Leparoux had swung Turallure out around the wall of horses.
The up-and-coming four-year-old took off and mowed them down just in time,
finishing the firm-turf mile in 1:34 4/5 and rewarding his backers with $14.90,
$5.90 and $4.10.
“We left from the outside (post 8),” Leparoux recapped, “so I just took him
Pat Valenzuela, the rider of Courageous Cat, was pleased with his mount’s
“His trip was perfect,” Valenzuela said. “I was talking to (trainer) Bill
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“I was trying to get him to relax without choking him too much because he
does have a little bit of a breathing problem. He was relaxed and ran a very
good race. He galloped out strong.”
With the $613,380 winner’s check, Turallure more than tripled his earnings to
$907,465 from his 15-6-2-3 line. The gray colt has come a long way in the past
13 months. A maiden winner at Ellis Park last August in his sixth career start,
but only his second on the turf, Turallure made a successful jump to stakes
company by taking the Cliff Guilliams H. at Ellis by a length right after his
graduation. Winner of a Keeneland allowance in his next start, he concluded his
sophomore campaign with a third in the Commonwealth Turf S. (G3) at Churchill
Downs.
Eighth to Get Stormy (Stormy Atlantic) in the April 15 Maker’s Mark Mile (G1)
in his seasonal bow, Turallure finished second in an allowance at Churchill next
out, then took the Opening Verse overnight stakes over the same course by a
length under Leparoux. That rider was absent when Turallure futilely chased
Sidney’s Candy (Candy Ride [Arg]) in the Fourstardave H. (G2) two starts ago,
where his chances were scuppered by a slow pace and he checked in fifth.
Lopresti commented on pitching Turallure into the Woodbine Mile 23 days after
his career-best in the Bernard Baruch.
“We use a little weight tape,” the trainer said. “I can tell you according to
the weight tape he’s gained about 30 pounds from that, we’ve trained him real
light, because this is close bringing him back off that race. So I didn’t do
much with him. He’s been here all week and galloped every morning.”
“We just wanted to keep him fresh, especially cutting back to one mile.
“We (the connections) talked about the sweeping turns and the long stretch,”
Lopresti noted of Woodbine’s contours. “We thought if we could get a mile race,
this would be the kind of configuration to do it at.”
Success at Woodbine is in the colt’s genes, too. His sire, Wando, was voted
Canada’s Horse of the Year after sweeping the Triple Crown in 2003.
Arnold was overjoyed by her first Grade 1 win as an owner.
“It’s fantastic — I just don’t know what to say. I’m really speechless,”
said Arnold, adding that Turallure would “absolutely” proceed to Churchill for
the Breeders’ Cup.
Bred in Kentucky by Arnold’s 4-D Stables, Turallure was produced by the
winning Personal Allure (Wekiva Springs), a half-sister to the Grade 3-placed
Mr. Krisley (Mr. Greeley). She is also the dam of a two-year-old colt named
Birdie on One (Birdstone) and an unnamed yearling colt by Borrego.
Turallure’s third dam is Parioli (Bold Bidder), a multiple Group 3 winner in
France and ancestress of Brazilian Group 1 winner Forever Bond (Choctaw Ridge)
and Italian highweight Golden Honor (Hero’s Honor). The female line traces to
Flambino (*Wrack), the dam of 1935 Triple Crown winner Omaha (Gallant Fox) and
Flares (Gallant Fox), hero of the Champion S. and Ascot Gold Cup.