Carl Spackler took it to his rivals in Saturday’s $1,065,625 Coolmore Turf Mile (G1), recording a comfortable frontrunning win in the fall fixture at Keeneland. The burgeoning four-year-old colt captured his second consecutive “Win & You’re In” Breeders’ Cup Challenge event, taking the Aug. 11 Fourstardave (G1) at Saratoga by 3 1/2 lengths, and Carl Spackler will look to make a serious impact in the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1).
Chad Brown trains the Irish-bred son of Lope de Vega for e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, and regular rider Tyler Gaffalione was up for Carl Spackler’s sixth stakes victory from his last seven outings. The chestnut has won four of five this year, racing up close before launching his bid in previous starts, and the Coolmore Turf Mile marked his first wire-to-wire score.
“My horse broke alertly (from the outside post),” Gaffalione said. “I looked to the inside, and nobody was really in any hurry to get going forward. I didn’t want to take too much away from my horse, so I just put my hands down and let him get comfortable. He proved he was best today. He’s a tremendous athlete.”
Master of The Seas came back to win the Mile at Santa Anita after finishing a close second in last year’s Coolmore Turf Mile, and Carl Spackler’s versatility may prove to be an edge at Del Mar this year.
Off as 1.07-1 favorite, Carl Spackler established opening fractions in :23.93 and :47.28 before widening his lead on the far turn, and he sped into the stretch with a commanding advantage. More Than Looks, the 7-2 second choice, offered a nice run from off the pace to reduce the margin late, but he never was a threat to Carl Spackler, who finished up in 1:34.23.
“All the credit goes to Chad (Brown) and his team,” Gaffalione said. “They bring these horses over ready to run. (The horses are) so kind; they listen to the cues of the jockeys. He did everything I asked him, and he really turned it on.”
More Than Looks ran well in his second start of the season, winding up more than a length better than Irish invader Mountain Bear in third. Next came Running Bee, Spirit of St Louis, Kikkuli, Cash Equity, Talk of the Nation, and Noises Off.
Bred by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, Carl Spackler is the first stakes winner from the Grade 2-winning turf miler Zindaya, a daughter of More Than Ready and half-sister to Grade 1 turf winner Western Aristocrat.
Carl Spackler has now bankrolled $1,568,475 from a 10-7-1-0 record.
