Acclamation cruises in work for weekend engagement

Bud Johnston is enjoying the ride with Acclamation (Benoit Photos)

Multiple Grade 1 king Acclamation worked four furlongs on Santa
Anita’s firm turf course Thursday in :49 4/5, but a decision on whether
he would run in Saturday’s Grade 1 Goodwood at 1 1/8 miles on the main
track or Sunday’s Grade 2 Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship going 1
1/4 grassy miles was on hold. The five-year-old California-bred son of
Unusual Heat has been entered in both races.

Private clocker Gary Young caught Acclamation in :50, “cruising.”

Winner of four straight stakes including three Grade 1’s — two on
turf and the Pacific Classic on Del Mar’s Polytrack — Acclamation has
been mentioned as Horse of the Year timber, although part-owner Bud
Johnston opted to put that on the back burner.

“We’re still talking about it (which race he’ll run in),” Johnston
said after watching the workout with trainer Don Warren. “We’re going to
enter (the Hirsch) this morning (Acclamation drew post position seven in
a field of eight).

“We’ll probably decide where to run on Friday, maybe Saturday
morning, I don’t know,” continued Johnston, who heads up the breeding
operation at Old English Rancho near Sanger, an iconic California
fixture since 1948. “We’re just going to weigh all the options and see.
There are advantages to both races as far as we’re concerned and we’re
going to see which one might work out the best for him.

“We may be leaning a little more towards the grass race. He just loves the
grass. He looks so good on it. But he trains all right (on the dirt). We’ve
breezed him on it.”

Acclamation has captured his past four races in style (Benoit Photos)

“But that’s a long ways away. We’ve still got to do a lot yet…but let me
tell you something. The grass racing is tough. There are a lot of good ones here
and a lot of good ones from Europe.”

Johnston said there have been feelers to purchase Acclamation, “but I haven’t
seen anybody write a check yet. I’ve had a lot of phone calls from Australia and
Europe and a pretty serious offer from Canada. And we’ve had offers from some of
the sheikhs. Everybody calls you and talks to you, but we’re having fun with
him. I’ve been in the business almost 60 years and it’s a great thrill to have a
horse like this and we’re enjoying it. Don and I have been together 34 years and
I don’t think we’ve had this much fun in 34 years.”

Johnston hopes to race Acclamation next year, if the fates allow. To date,
the bay has an 8-2-6 record from 27 starts, with earnings of $1,538,048.

“Ideally, we would race him next year and then sell him to the proper farm
for breeding rights and then keep 10 percent or something,” Johnston said.
“That’s what I’d like to do. We’re still in the breeding business. I’d love to
send 10 mares to him every year. But I think he has to stand some place in
Kentucky.