by Brisnet.com
Taylor Said dueled with pacesetter Winning Machine throughout the stretch of
Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000
Longacres Mile Handicap at Emerald Downs before just eking out the head
victory under jockey Mario Gutierrez. Campaigned by Glen Todd’s North American
Thoroughbred Racing Company, the Stephanotis gelding was sent off the 5-2 second
choice in the 10-horse field and paid $7.20, $4.60 and $3.20.
Winning Machine set all the pace through splits of :23 3/5, :46 1/5 and 1:09
1/5, but had plenty of company the entire time. Hudson Landing and Taylor Said
kept the pressure on down the backstretch, but the former suddenly checked out
of it nearing the turn. Taylor Said wasn’t done, though, and moved up to
challenge Winning Machine in the lane. The front runner was stubborn, forcing
Taylor Said to work for every yard, but the eventual winner got the job done in
a final time of 1:33 3/5 for the fast-track mile.
Winning Machine proved best of the rest, holding defending champion, Grade 1
veteran and 2-1 favorite Awesome Gem to third by 1 1/2 lengths. Taylor Said’s
stablemate, St Liams Halo, completed the top four and was followed under the
wire by Bailouttheminister, Jump Up and Kissme, Gallant Son, Jebrica, Hudson
Landing and 2009 Longacres Mile scorer Assessment, who was making just his
second start of the year in this spot.
Gladding was scratched after spiking a fever while shipping from Southern
California to Washington. Trainer John Sadler said his charge had a 104-degree
temperature when he arrived early Friday morning for the race.
Trained by Troy Taylor in his nine previous races, Taylor Said was saddled by
Michael Pulich in the Longacres Mile off five straight wins. Those included the
British Columbia Cup Classic, Lieutenant Governors’ Handicap, Sir Winston
Churchill Handicap and John Longden 6000 Handicap, all at Hastings Park. The
dark bay four-year-old made his racing debut at that Vancouver venue in 2010,
breaking his maiden by 3 1/2 lengths, but wouldn’t be seen again for nearly a
year, returning last September to run second in the Express Stakes.
Taylor Said shipped to California for his next three starts, suffering his
only off-the-board placing when 12th against optional claiming rivals at Santa
Anita. He just missed by a neck back at that track in a claiming contest in his
seasonal debut, then began his current win streak at Golden Gate Fields in a
starter allowance on February 24. The winner’s share from the Longacres Mile
boosted his career earnings to $277,991, and his line now stands at 10-7-2-0.
Bred in British Columbia by Clive and Linda Lytle & Can-A-Mex Farms, Taylor
Said is out of the Western Fame mare Fleet Amyanne and brought $9,331 from Todd
as a British Columbia September yearling. He is a three-quarter brother to dual
stakes victor Andiotis, who is also by Stephanotis and, like Fleet Amyanne, out
of the winning Afleet mare Fleet Chelseanna.
Taylor Said is a half-brother to multiple stakes scorer Taylors Deal, and
this is the same female family as Grade 1 queen Chelsey Flower, who is the dam
of Group 3 hero Kentucky Dynamite, as well as two-time Canadian champions
Scotzanna and Par Excellance.
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