Wise Dan picks up right where he left off in Maker's 46 Mile

Wise Dan picks up right where he left off in Maker's 46

Mile

Tactically drawn on the outside in the short field of five, Wise Dan was a

couple of lengths back in third as Silentio carved out an opening quarter in :24

3/5 on the firm turf. But on the backstretch, the Horse of the Year showed his

eagerness to be back in action, and dragged Lezcano into a close, pace-prompting

third. Mr. Commons and Data Link remained within striking distance in the

compact group.

Silentio continued to post fractions of :48 4/5 and 1:13, with Skyring lapped

on his flank, but Wise Dan was now also alongside. When the three-time Eclipse

Award winner put both pace rivals away entering the stretch, Data Link was on

the move, and the 2012 Maker's 46 hero was not ready to surrender his crown

tamely.

Although Data Link rallied to within a half-length of Wise Dan in midstretch,

he could not outkick the Horse of the Year, who had still more up his sleeve in

the final furlong. Wise Dan pulled away to a one-length decision in a final time

of 1:36 1/5, and in the process, made Keeneland history. He has now won a total

of five graded stakes at Keeneland, a record at the Lexington, Kentucky, track.

"He was very fresh," Lezcano said. "He wanted to go on, but I wanted to slow

him down. I knew that (Data Link) would be coming at the end. I waited as long

as I could, but he's a champion, you know."

LoPresti noted that Wise Dan wasn't as rank as he has sometimes been in the

past.

"Really I was surprised into the first turn (that) he was pretty relaxed

where he was," the trainer said. "Then down the backside when he saw daylight he

wanted to grab the bit a little bit. But I've seen him tougher than that."

Wise Dan proved a triple-surface threat in 2011, winning the Firecracker

Handicap in his turf debut, and adding the Presque Isle Mile on Tapeta, before

romping in the Fayette over Keeneland's Polytrack and the Clark Handicap on the

Churchill Downs dirt.

The chestnut gelding kicked off his 2012 season at

Keeneland with a scintillating, 10 1/2-length conquest of the Ben Ali, in a

track-record time of 1:46.63 on the Polytrack. Wise Dan returned to Churchill

for the June 16 Stephen Foster Handicap, only to lose by a head after a tough

trip. That is his only loss in his past nine races.

Wise Dan reverted to turf for the Fourstardave Handicap August 11 at

Saratoga, where he posted a five-length demolition job, and came back to

dominate the September 16 Woodbine Mile by 3 1/4 lengths. Wise Dan used the

Shadwell Turf Mile on October 6 at Keeneland as a virtual paid workout, with a 2

1/4-length jaunt that set him up perfectly for the Breeders' Cup.

By taking home Eclipse Awards as Horse of the Year, champion older male and

champion turf male, Wise Dan joined the legendary John Henry as the only two to

sweep those three honors in the Eclipse era. Now six years old, Wise Dan figures

to have much more time to polish his resume.

"I'll talk to (owner-breeder Fink)," LoPresti said regarding future targets.

"He's nominated to that race on Derby Day, mile and an eighth on grass (the

Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs). I don't think that we'll run

him there.

"Maybe the Stephen Foster (Handicap on June 15 at Churchill) next time --

just like we did last year. Maybe we'll win it this year."

The Kentucky-bred is by Wiseman's Ferry and out of the winning Wolf Power

mare Lisa Danielle. He is a half-brother to multiple Grade 2 victor Successful

Dan, who set a new Churchill track record when taking the Alysheba last May.

Another half-sibling, stakes winner Our Royal Dancer, is herself the dam of

Argentinean Group 2-placed Bailando Voy.

Lisa Danielle is in turn a half-sister to Grade 1-placed Carsona, who has

produced Grade 2 victor Siphon City. This is the family of German Group

1-winning highweight Scalo, and further back, French champion, classic winner

and noted sire *Val de Loir as well as dual classic heroine and Irish champion *Valoris

II.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com