The end of the Spring Meet at Keeneland is always a sad time of the year but
the closing-day feature was an exciting one as George Melillo’s MACAW (Ire)
(Bluebird) closed with a rush to take the 1 1/2-mile $200,000
Elkhorn S. (G3) as the 7-1
third choice. The Angel Penna Jr. trainee was originally listed as an alternate
entrant, but gained access to the race after the defection of Grade 1 winner Magistretti
(Diesis [GB]).
Run over a yielding turf, the Elkhorn field was closely grouped
after an opening quarter in :26 1/5, with the top three only a
head apart from one another. Balestrini (Ire) (Danehill) and Brickell (Deputy Minister) continued to
battle for the lead through the half-mile in :50 4/5, with the former holding a
one-length advantage. Those two rivals still went after each other after six
furlongs in 1:16 2/5, when Brickell gained the lead and held it through a mile
in 1:42. Both of those front runners began to tire entering the stretch, and the
cavalry came charging home.
Scooter Roach (Mi Cielo), who had rated just off the leaders for the opening
nine furlongs, stuck a head in front with a quarter of a mile to go, getting 10
furlongs in a pedestrian 2:08. Entering the final furlong, European (Ire) (Great
Commotion) was the only horse left who had pressed the pace and was still there,
but it was Rochester (Green Dancer), in last-place after a mile,
who held the 1 1/2-length advantage.
In the end, though, it was all Macaw. After
running in last place through the first two points of call, the gelding and
jockey Javier Castellano steadily made their way through the pack while five-wide
approaching the turn for home, eased out nine wide for the stretch run, and were
2 1/2-lengths clear at the wire, stopping the clock in 2:32 3/5.
The winner paid $17.40, $9.80 and $7.40 for his effort, while European
gave $12.40 and $9.20 at 13-1. Rochester came a nose farther back to pick up the
show and returned $12.80 at 25-1. Exotics paid $247.80 (exacta), $4,089 (trifecta)
and Swagger Stick (Cozzene) closed well to finish the13-6-7-5 superfecta that paid $27,216.80.
Salford City (Ire) (Desert Sun
[GB]), Stage Call (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells), post-time favorite Epicentre (Kris
S.), Art Variety (Brz) (Pleasant Variety), Navesink River (Unbridled), Scooter
Roach, Brickell and Balestrini rounded out the order of finish. Magistretti and Classic Piper (Sky
Classic) were both withdrawn.
Macaw was bred in Ireland by Denis and Joan Brosnan and is out of the Rainbow
Quest mare No Quest. This is Macaw’s first graded stakes win as he adds this
score to a tally in the John Henry S. as well as placings in the Pattison
Canadian International S. (Can-G1) and the Sword Dancer Invitational H. (G1).
The six-year-old improves his mark to 33-5-7-3 with earnings of $794,580.