39-1 Lochte takes gold in Gulfstream Park Turf

The Jockey Club Tour on FOX opened with a massive upset when Crossed Sabres

Farm's Lochte, by far the longest shot on the board at 39-1, shocked an

accomplished field in his stakes debut in Sunday's Grade 1, $300,000

Gulfstream

Park Turf Handicap. Culled from the Darley operation and sold for $60,000 at

Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga Fall Mixed and Horses of Racing Age Sale last October,

the Medaglia d'Oro gelding handed trainer Marcus Vitali and jockey Orlando

Bocachica their biggest career victories.

"It's like they say in football after you win the Super Bowl, 'I want to

go to Disneyland,'" Vitali said. "I talked it over with the owner and we were

taking our chance here. His numbers were going up and up. Myself and my staff,

we all felt really comfortable with the horse's progress."

Lochte, who was coming off an entry-level allowance score over the course on

January 24, was facing a salty group. Summer Front, the Ft. Lauderdale winner in

his latest, garnered 5-2 favoritism. Multiple Grade 2 hero Amira's Prince found

plenty of support at 5-2 in his comeback from a 10-month layoff, while Red Smith

victor Imagining and Grade 1-winning millionaire Boisterous also had solid

credentials. But the turf establishment couldn't hold a candle to the stakes

newcomer.

Sparking mutuels of $80.60, $25 and $12, Lochte boosted his bankroll to

$276,007 from his 10-3-2-3 record. The dark bay was first purchased for $475,000

as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga. Originally exported to England, Lochte

was returned to the United States as a juvenile, and did not commence his racing

career until the spring of his three-year-old season. He went winless in five

starts in the Darley silks for Kiaran McLaughlin in 2013, but placed three

times, with his most promising efforts on turf. Gelded just prior to touring the

auction ring at the same venue last fall, he began to come around for his new

connections.

Lochte missed by a nose in an off-the-turf maiden here on November 10, then

finally broke his maiden going 1 1/16 miles on this course December 14. He

stepped up considerably in trip for an entry-level allowance at 1 7/16 grassy

miles, and closed for third. Back down to 1 1/16 miles last time, the

four-year-old cleared his entry-level condition by a resounding 3 1/2 lengths,

and continued his rapid ascent on Sunday.