By Alan Carasso
Program Trading (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) gave Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables and trainer Chad Brown a fourth winner of the GI Old Forester Turf Classic S. in the last six years, fighting his way past Godolphin's Naval Power (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the shadow of the winning post for a dramatic victory.
A 4-1 chance making his 4-year-old debut and first start since narrowly defeating Webslinger (Constitution) in last year's GI Hollywood Derby, Program Trading left there running, and when Never Surprised (Constitution) rolled up to lead and when Naval Power set up shop just outside the pacesetter, that left Flavien Prat and Program Trading in what has been the ideal spot on this course over the past few days, snugly at the fence with cover behind the pacesetter.
Handy enough to the tepid early sections of :24.48 and :49.51 laid down by Never Surprised, Program Trading continued to ride the rails into and around the turn, but it was Naval Power who got first run on a tiring Never Surprised cornering into the stretch, as Webslinger was in the midst of a sweep that nearly carried him into a share of the lead. The Godolphin runner certainly wasn't stopping and took them headlong into the final furlong, but Frankie Dettori had left the rail open, and Prat took full advantage, knifing through before prevailing by a short-head. Webslinger was there to win the race, but couldn't quite quicken with the top two and ultimately won a photo for third with Integration (Quality Road), who sat a good inside trip, but was left with too much to do in the final quarter mile.
Champion Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway) gave Brown and Klaravich their first Turf Classic in 2019, followed by Digital Age (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in the COVID-delayed running in 2020. Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) dead-heated in 2021 with Colonel Liam (Liam's Map). Each of the European-bred winners, like Program Trading, was acquired at Tattersalls October.
A debut winner at Monmouth last May, Program Trading followed up in Belmont allowance company the following month before defeating Webslinger and Far Bridge (English Channel) in the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational in yielding ground Aug. 5. Beaten on the square by Integration in the GIII Virginia Derby Sept. 9, Program Trading had a neck on Webslinger, with Godolphin's well-traveled Silver Knott (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) third, when last seen at Del Mar. He was charting a similar course into the Turf Classic as Domestic Spending.
“The horse had been training super,” Brown commented. “He's done great all winter. The only thing I told [jockey] Flavien [Prat] in the paddock was just to keep in mind that he's off the layoff and he's against horses that are definitely race-fit in the middle of their campaigns, so you're going to have to save a little ground somewhere. What a masterful ride. He got right to the rail early and then I thought he's got a good chance then. The layoff might not be as big of an issue now that he's saved a little ground. This horse is nearly undefeated on the turf, which is very hard to do. He's versatile, a real exciting horse.”
Pedigree Notes:
Luca and Sara Cumani's Fittocks Stud acquired Program Trading's second dam So Silk for 480,000gns ($747,230) at the 2008 Tattersalls December Mares Sale, a sum hefty enough for an unraced mare, and with good reason. Her champion and dual Group 1-winning dam Gossamer was a full-sister to champion and GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner Barathea (Ire), and her seven winners from eight runners includes Group 1 winner Ibn Khaldun (Dubai Destination) and the dam of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Mischief Magic (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), third in Saturday's GII TwinSpires Turf Sprint at Churchill.
A half-sister to G2 Park Hill S. winner and G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. runner-up Silk Sari (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and a full to Riskaverse S. placegetter Fashion Fund (GB), Dreamlike is also the dam of the 3-year-old filly Alabama Anna (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), a Pinatubo (Ire) filly that was acquired by Mike Ryan for 260,000gns ($329,693) at Tattersalls last October and a yearling colt by Too Darn Hot (GB).
A thrilling photo finish in the Turf Classic Stakes @ChurchillDowns goes to #5 Program Trading on the inside at odds of 4/1!
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Trainer: Chad Brown
Owner: Klaravich Stables Inc pic.twitter.com/3EryxPK9Wb— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) May 4, 2024
Saturday, Churchill Downs
OLD FORESTER BOURBON TURF CLASSIC S.-GI, $1,000,000, Churchill Downs, 5-4, 4yo/up, 1 1/8mT, 1:50.30, gd.
1–PROGRAM TRADING (GB), 123, r, 4, by Lope de Vega (Ire)
1st Dam: Dreamlike (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: So Silk (GB), by Rainbow Quest
3rd Dam: Gossamer (GB), by Sadler's Wells
(250,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.;
B-Fittocks Stud & Arrow Farm Stud (GB); T-Chad C. Brown;
J-Flavien Prat. $589,000. Lifetime Record: 6-5-1-0, $1,284,250.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Naval Power (GB), 123, g, 4, Teofilo (Ire)–Emirates Rewards
(GB), by Dubawi (Ire). O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charles Appleby.
$190,000.
3–Webslinger, 123, g, 4, Constitution–Arana, by Hard Spun.
($45,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP; $25,000 Ylg '21 FTKOCT; $45,000
RNA 2yo '22 OBSAPR; $50,000 2yo '22 OBSOPN). O-D. J. Stable
LLC; B-Kenneth L. & Sarah K. Ramsey (KY); T-Mark E. Casse.
$95,000.
Margins: HD, 2, NO. Odds: 4.09, 3.22, 14.10.
Also Ran: Integration, Far Bridge, Siege of Boston, I'm Very Busy, Anglophile, Never Surprised, Cellist. Scratched: Never Explain.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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