Twelve months after seeing Midnight Luck (Midnight Lute) lose the same race
in a photo, trainer Bob Baffert had better fortune in the $400,000
Illinois
Derby (G3) at Hawthorne on Saturday when Whiskey Ticket (Ghostzapper)
prevailed narrowly over Conquest Curlinate (Curlin).
The 2-1 second choice in a field of eight three-year-olds, Whiskey Ticket
tracked in fourth as 6-5 favorite Cross the Line (Line of David) and A. Rod
Again (Awesome Again) dueled and traded leads through splits of :23 2/5 and :46
4/5. Whiskey Ticket made a three-wide bid into contention around the far turn
and set his sights on A. Rod Again, who was up a length passing six furlongs in
1:11 3/5.
Seizing control turning into the stretch, Whiskey Ticket opened up to lead by
1 1/2 lengths with an eighth to go and was all out to hold on over Conquest
Curlinate by a nose in a time of 1:50 4/5 for nine furlongs on a fast track.
Whiskey Ticket, owned by the partnership of Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul
Weitman, returned $6.40. He was ridden to victory by Martin Pedroza.
“I was a little concerned before the race. He was a little anxious. Not
nervous but anxious,” Pedroza said. “I told the pony person to keep him away from the other
horses. I galloped him a little bit just to take the edge off and it worked. He
seemed to be pretty relaxed after that.
“He broke a little sluggish but recovered right away. I
tracked right behind the other horses. He didn’t seem to mind the dirt too
much. He didn’t like it at first but he got used to it. I didn’t want him to
get too much dirt on him so I put him in the clear. I didn’t want someone to
box me in. Turning for home I was screaming bloody murder and whipping him left
handed and right handed. I don’t think he ever saw the horse coming on the
outside, he was kind of too far away, so I put my horse close to him. Anyway, we
got the job done.
“I want to thank my best friend Rene Douglas,” Pedroza added. “He was one of
the reasons that I came over here. He told me I was crazy if I didn’t come for
Baffert. He told me this was a nice horse. He won at a mile in his first start
and there aren’t many horses that can do that.”
Conquest Curlinate was four lengths clear of Phenomenal Phoenix (Summer
Bird), who was followed by Verraco (Old Fashioned), Cross the Line, Private
Prospect (Discreet Cat), A. Rod Again, and Kantune (Kantharos). Lewys Vaporizer
(Lewis Michael) was scratched.
“I had to ride him a little bit just to get him going,” jockey Shaun
Bridgmohan explained about Conquest Curlinate. “He
takes a little encouragement. He’s a big kid that’s still learning but at least
he’s going in the right direction. Not to take anything away from the winner
but both horses ran hard to the end.”
The Illinois Derby was the second career start for Whiskey Ticket, who upset
his one-mile debut at Santa Anita by a head at 14-1 on March 19. He has now
earned $273,600.
A $200,000 Keeneland September purchase, Whiskey Ticket was bred in Kentucky
by Springland Farm and Adena Springs. He was produced by Honey Grove (Gilded
Time), who is also the dam of multiple stakes winner Mutak Gold (Mutakddim).
This extended family has also yielded Grade 1 winners Manistique (Unbridled),
Unbridled Command (Master Command), and Freedom Cry (Wolf Power), as well as
multiple Grade 2 queen Randaroo (Gold Case).
Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com