Talco swoops from last in Shoemaker surprise

Talco came flying down the Santa Anita stretch to take the Shoemaker (Cecilia Gustavsson/Horsephotos.com) Going into Saturday’s $400,000 Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Santa Anita, the burning question was whether even-money favorite Midnight Storm (Pioneerof the Nile) would build up enough of an early lead to stave off Bal a Bali (Put It Back). But as it turned out, Midnight Storm didn’t set the pace after a slight bobble at the break, Bal a Bali failed to fire in last, and the 13-1 Talco (Pivotal) delivered a peak performance in this “Win & You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1). With new rider Rafael Bejarano aboard, Talco was anchored in last as the pace scenario unfolded. Winning Prize (Pure Prize), who added blinkers here, sped to the front from his rail post. Midnight Storm got off to an awkward start, but recovered in stride and prompted Winning Prize through fractions of :22 4/5 and :46 2/5 on a turf course listed as firm. Rounding the far turn through six furlongs in 1:10, Midnight Storm accosted Winning Prize and began to assert in midstretch. But Talco had improved his position while hugging the fence on the turn, angled out for the drive, and finished best of all to earn his first graded coup. The John Sadler charge bested Midnight Storm by a half-length in a final time of 1:35 and returned $28.40.

“After the first quarter mile, we were smiling, especially since the grass
looked a little longer than normal,” assistant trainer Larry Benavidez said. “It
was a big win. We just kind of wanted them to go fast up front, and we figured
the one (Winning Prize) was going to go, with the blinkers on. Finally the race
played out like it looked on paper and this horse is in top form right now.”

“The turf is really soft and deep,” Bejarano observed. “I let him break good
and I didn’t want him too far back. I saw that the pace was a little slow, for
this kind of race, for these horses, so I didn’t want to be too far off the
pace.

“When I came to the stretch, I knew Tyler (Baze on Midnight Storm) still had
a lot of horse. My horse gave me such a big kick off the turn, we were able to
challenge him right away and then we outran him to the finish. The whole key to
winning today was being able to stay inside around the far turn and really
kicking well.”

Baze cited the course condition as the key factor in the favorite’s defeat.

“He didn’t handle that grass at all — he couldn’t really get a hold of it,”
Baze said. “I’m still very proud of the way he ran; he never threw in the
towel.”

Seek Again (Speightstown) got up for third over Winning Prize. Bal a Bali,
third much of the way, didn’t pick up down the lane and crossed the wire last in
the compact group of five.

Talco’s biggest career victory boosted his bankroll to $491,096 from his
15-5-4-3 record. Originally trained in France by Nicolas Clement, the chestnut
placed second in last summer’s Prix de Saint-Patrick at Deauville. He was
subsequently acquired by Hronis Racing and imported to Southern California. In
his debut for Sadler, he was a closing third to Midnight Storm in the Del Mar
Derby (G2), and later finished third to California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) in the
Hollywood Derby (G1). Talco scored a confidence-booster in a second-level
allowance March 12 and followed up in the April 4 Thunder Road, both at this
course and distance. Best of the rest behind Bal a Bali in the May 9 American
(G3), he gained revenge here.

Bred by Sarl Darpat France, Talco brought $178,843 as an Arqana August
yearling. The four-year-old is a half-brother to French stakes victress Limonar
(Street Cry). Their dam, Trylko (Diesis), is a half-sister to Irish classic
winner Bachelor Duke (Miswaki).

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