3/22/09
Last updated: 3/21/09 7:46 PM
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Cliffy’s Future looks bright
(Photo by Jordan Strickler) |
Silverton Hill’s CLIFFY’S FUTURE (The Cliff’s Edge) rolled past the battling
pacesetters turning for home and drew off in the lane to capture Saturday’s
$100,000
Rushaway S. at Turfway Park. Trained by Darrin Miller and ridden by Jesus
Castanon, the dark bay colt completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:44 1/5 on the Polytrack.
In the process, Cliffy’s Future followed in the hoofsteps of another
Silverton Hill runner, Dominican, who won the Rushaway en route to taking the
Blue Grass S. (G1) in 2007.
Cliffy’s Future was last of eight through the opening quarter, as the
front-running Ninth Client (Malibu Moon) rattled off the initial split in :24
1/5. A pace battle then ensued, with Sundays Baby Grand (Sunday Break [Jpn])
snaring the lead through a half in :48 2/5, only to surrender the advantage to
Fitzaslew (Seattle Fitz [Arg]) through six furlongs in 1:12 3/5.
No Inflation (Repriced), the 2-1 favorite, made a bold bid on the far turn to
strike the front. Meanwhile, Cliffy’s Future began to advance, and he rapidly
overhauled No Inflation. Cliffy’s Future crossed the wire 2 1/2 lengths clear,
paying $16.40, $6.80 and $5 at 7-1.
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“I had a great trip,” Castanon said. “I’ve been watching the earlier races
and seeing how the track
was playing. At the half-mile pole, he just took off. He really took to the
track well. I didn’t use
everything in him so there’s something left for the future. I know there’s a lot
left in the tank. A mile and a quarter should be no problem for him.”
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Cliffy’s Future flew home over the Polytrack
(Photo by Jordan Strickler) |
Ziegfeld (Elusive Quality) closed from last, and despite failing to switch
leads, managed to garner runner-up honors by a head from Toccet Rocket (Toccet).
Sundays Baby Grand checked in fourth, a head in front of No Inflation.
With this first stakes victory on his resume, Cliffy’s Future improved his
record to 9-2-2-2, $103,401. He was coming off an eighth-place finish in the Sam
F. Davis S. (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs.
“Coming in, we were really confident,” Miller said. “He was a private
purchase, and I didn’t know a
lot about him going into the Sam F. Davis. In hindsight, I wish I had asked more
questions, but
that race really taught me a lot and I was really confident coming in to this
race. I was really
concerned about how he would take to synthetics because his race last year at
Keeneland wasn’t that good. He did train very well over this track.”
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Cliffy’s Future was bred by Bruce T. Hundley in Kentucky and brought $60,000
as a Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling. Out of the Grade 2-placed Future Act
(Known Fact), he is a half-brother to stakes victor Immediate Reaction (Cozzene).
