When the gate opened on the Sunshine Millions Turf, Presious Passion
On the far turn, The Usual Q. T. was gaining on Presious Passion, and
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Caracortado produced the stronger kick and seized a narrow lead, The Usual Q.
T. tried to launch a renewed assault on the inside, but Caracortado safely
retained his grip by a half-length. After blitzing 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in
1:46 3/5, the winner paid $8.20, $3.80 and $2.80.
“He’s a freak on turf and has such a
tremendous turn of foot,” Talamo marveled. “I
really appreciate the opportunity; they did a heck of a job. Mike’s been working
with him on the turf and I have been working him every time. He just explodes
that last eighth. I think one of his workouts, he came home in :10 4/5
and I didn’t even ask him the last eighth. He’s a tremendous horse.”
“The Sunshine Millions has always
been really good to us, and to win this race, and managing this horse to get to
this point, has been very satisfying,” Machowsky said.
“I’ve never been one to tie a jock’s hands (regarding strategy).
“I just told Joe, handicapping the
race, we’d be sitting third or fourth, but you never know what’s going to happen
in a race until the gates open and everything unfolds. I thought Victor
(Espinoza on The Usual Q. T.) tried to put
him in a little tight out of the gate. The first eighth of a mile he kind of
came over on my horse, but it was probably just race riding, knowing my horse
was one of the ones to beat. Joe just took back off that horse
and got a comfortable spot.”
“The horse (The Usual Q. T.)
ran huge,” trainer Jim Cassidy said of his
charge. “They ran very, very fast. I feel a lot
more confident now. He kept trying. Victor said he kept pulling him to the lead
and then he saw the other horse there but he kept trying. I’m very happy with
the effort.”
The Usual Q. T. held a 1 3/4-length margin over the late-running Soul Candy (Birdonthewire),
who rounded out the Golden State trifecta. Jeranimo raced evenly in fourth to
yield the best Florida-bred finish. Presious Passion retreated to fifth, and
Mobilized (Soul of the Matter), No Inflation and Pickapocket (Mecke) rounded out
the order under the wire.
Bred by Machowsky, and campaigned by his Lo Hi Racing in partnership with
Blahut Racing, Caracortado sports a mark of 11-7-0-2, $491,520. The scrappy
chestnut gelding remained unbeaten through his first five starts, capped by
victories in the 2009 California Breeders’ Champion S. at two and the 2010
Robert B. Lewis S. (G2) at three. Caracortado lost his perfect status when third
in the San Felipe S. (G2), and his spring went downhill from there. A hampered
fourth in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), he lacked sufficient graded earnings to
make it into the Kentucky Derby, and he then checked in a weary seventh in the
Preakness S. (G1).
Following a six-month spell on the sidelines, a rejuvenated Caracortado
returned with a smashing score in his turf debut in a November 11 optional
claimer at Hollywood. He reverted to dirt for the December 26 Malibu S. (G1),
rallying for third to track record-setter Twirling Candy (Candy Ride [Arg]) and
Smiling Tiger (Hold That Tiger). With his Sunshine Millions triumph, the
four-year-old is now two-for-two on turf.
“The great thing about him is he’s
run on every surface so far,” Machowsky said. “Right
now, percentages would point to staying on the turf, but he’s so versatile I’m
just going to play out my options.
“Right now, March 5 will be the date,
whether it’s the (Frank E.) Kilroe Mile ([G1]
on turf) or the Santa Anita H. ([G1]
at 1 1/4 miles on the dirt). We’ll
just wait and see how it all plays out. At the level he’s at now, every race is
going to be a tough, tough race, but I want to make it as easy as possible on
him. He’s a gelding and I want him racing with us a long
time.”
Caracortado was produced by the unraced Mons Venus (Maria’s Mon), whose only
subsequent registered foal is a juvenile filly named My Southern Diva (Southern
Image).
About one hour previously on the East Coast, Trip for A. J. reversed form
with Askbut I Won’ttell from the December 4 My Charmer H. (G3) at Calder. Unlike
in the My Charmer, where Trip for A. J. was softened up by early pace pressure
and caught late, this time the Milton Wolfson trainee benefited from a
stalk-and-pounce trip beneath John Velazquez to earn her biggest career victory.
The 6-1 third choice in the 13-distaffer field returned $14.40, $7.60 and $5.40.
Dynaslew (Dynaformer), last year’s Ballston Spa H. (G2) winner, was
dispatched as the 2-1 favorite, but wound up being too aggressive in her
seasonal reappearance. After acting up in the gate, she was keen to chase in
third while Becky’s Exchange (Exchange Rate) carved out splits of :24 1/5 and
:48 3/5. Speak Easy Gal (West Acre) was a pace-prompting second, but Trip for A.
J. was conserving her energy in a ground-saving fourth. When Dynaslew came under
a ride on the far turn, Trip for A. J. overtook her for third through six
furlongs in 1:12 3/5, deftly angled off the fence, and was poised to strike
entering the stretch.
Meanwhile, Speak Easy Gal was wearing down Becky’s Exchange, but neither pace
factor would have much left inside the final furlong. Trip for A. J. rolled past
to take command, and wider out, her old foe Askbut I Won’ttell was hitting top
gear from far back. Although Askbut I Won’ttell briefly threatened down the
center of the course, Trip for A. J. stuck to her guns and maintained a
half-length margin at the wire, finishing 1 1/8 miles on the firm course in 1:49
2/5.
“I think a mile and an eighth might be a little far for her, so I wanted to
reserve as much as I could for the stretch run,” Velazquez said. “It worked
perfectly.”
Scolara (Quiet American), who was relegated to near the back of the pack
after being steadied, rallied to reach contention in the stretch but had to
settle for third, another 2 1/4 lengths away. Romin Robin (Pure Precision)
reported home fourth, followed by Category Seven (Gulf Storm), Jet Blue Girl (Gimmeawink),
the lone California-bred Bran Jammas (In Excess [Ire]), Speak Easy Gal,
Unbridled Essence (Essence of Dubai), Omega Cat (Omega Code), Becky’s Exchange,
Granted Tiger (Tiger Ridge) and Dynaslew. Wild Mia (Wildcat Heir) and Honeymoon
Girl (Sligo Bay [Ire]) were withdrawn.
Trip for A. J.’s fifth stakes score improved her record to 14-7-1-1,
$401,145. The four-year-old began her career just 11 months ago and won at first
asking. Later, after a third-place finish in her stakes debut in the
Sweettrickydancer S., the chestnut was awarded the victory via disqualification
in the Noble Robyn S. That kicked off a four-race winning streak, including the
Nancy’s Glitter H. and Ms. Brookski S. Trip for A. J. added the Calder Oaks to
her resume last fall, and concluded a busy first campaign with a fine runner-up
effort in the My Charmer. She opened 2011 with a close fifth in the January 9
Marshua’s River S. (G3) at Gulfstream.
“She was a little short for her last race,” Wolfson noted. “She had an
abscess in a foot a couple of weeks before. I was afraid to train her too hard
coming up to the race, but we got that cleaned up and were able to get her ready
for this one properly.
“She’s been so exciting to have. She runs on turf or dirt, but I’d rather
keep her on turf as long as possible,” added Wolfson, who hasn’t settled on the
filly’s next objective.
Out of the winning Explodent mare A. J.’s Hot Shot, Trip for A. J. is a
half-sister to multiple Calder stakes victress Annabill (Outflanker), who played
a role in forging the connection between Fuller and Wolfson. The trainer had
claimed Annabill from Fuller for $25,000 in August 2006 and developed her into a
money-spinner. Fuller took note of the success, and chose to send Trip for A. J.
to Wolfson.
A. J.’s Hot Shot is also the dam of an unraced sophomore filly named A. J.’s
Hot Mambo and a juvenile colt named Black Elmo, both by Black Mambo. This is the
family of multiple Grade 1 hero Swept Overboard (End Sweep).