By Jill Williams
Breeders' Cup winner Cody's Wish (Curlin) may be the sport's poster boy for feel-good racing stories, but there's another waiting in the wings as West Point Thoroughbreds and Steven Bouchey's own touching story about Carson's Run (c, 2, Cupid-Hot N Hectic, by Henny Hughes) keeps improving. The 2-year-old colt may be headed to the Breeders' Cup himself after capturing Saturday's GI Bet365 Summer S. at Woodbine, a “Win and You're In” event offering the winner a free berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita Nov. 3. Like Cody's Wish, Carson's Run was named after a young man who suffers from Wolf-Hirschorn Syndrome.
With the start of the C$500,000 Summer delayed several moments due to a last-minute shoe repair for 9-5 pick My Boy Prince (Cairo Prince), who was coming off a 14-length triumph in the Aug. 27 Simcoe S. over Woodbine's Tapeta, that one set the early :23.46 and :47.10 pace while Carson's Run lingered at the back of the field, saving ground on the inside. Just like in his earlier two starts, Carson's Run was unhurried early and waited patiently to make his move. They came off the turn with My Boy Prince in front on the rail as Carson's Run abruptly hurtled around the middle of the course, about 10 paths wide, with an Arazi-like move in search of a clear run. He sailed on by to win by 2 1/4 lengths, with My Boy Prince holding off the filly Go With Gusto (Medaglia d'Oro)–who finished first but was disqualified in her course and distance debut here Aug.13– for third. Final time for the mile on the lawn was 1:35.70; the Juvenile Turf is the same distance and, like the Summer, open to both colts and fillies.
“He did very well there because he saved all the ground he could and then when he angled him out at the quarter pole, we had to come wide obviously, but that way you don't get any traffic,” said trainer Christophe Clement's assistant Christophe Lorieul. “He had a clear run from quarter pole to the wire and he really showed what he is today.”
Carson's Run, a $170,000 OBS April buy after working :10 1/5, kickstarted his career with a game debut July 29 at Saratoga, chasing early before angling wide and digging in to win by a neck in a performance much like his Summer win. He tried similar tactics in the GIII With Anticipation S., also at the Spa but over heavier going, only to get caught late by the improving filly Gala Brand (Violence) and finish a half-length back. Dylan Davis has been aboard for all three starts.
“Today, we wanted to go with the outside route and keep a clear trip on him,” said Davis. “We saved all the ground going into the turn–nice real big turn here–and he was able to get it done.”
#2 CARSON'S RUN ($8.60) makes a super wide move to take the $500,000 Summer Stakes (G1) @WoodbineTB. The victory punches his ticket to the @BreedersCup Juvenile Turf! Congratulations to all the connections of this son of @coolmoreamerica's Cupid!
Keep watching on @FanDuelTV pic.twitter.com/g3tE6NuIRh
— TVG (@TVG) September 16, 2023
Pedigree Notes:
Coolmore America's Cupid may stand in Kentucky but has had his biggest success to date north of the border, as Carson's Run adds his first Grade I win to Cupid's sire tally to go along with 2021 Canadian champion 2-year-old colt God of Love and 2022 Prince of Wales S. winner Duke of Love. Overall, Cupid has four graded winners among his seven Northern Hemisphere-bred black-type winners.
Henny Hughes, a Storm Cat-line stallion who has stood in Japan since the 2014 season, is finding success as a broodmare sire with both Carson's Run and Beholder's daughter Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) adding Grade I wins in the last week. Among the 21 other stakes winners out of his daughters is champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar). Interestingly, Carson's Run was bred by Frankfort Park Farm, who co-bred Monomoy Girl.
Hot N Hectic's only other foal is a Volatile colt foaled Jan. 25 of this year. A half-sister to fan favorite MGSW & GISP Rated R Superstar (Kodiak Kowboy), Hot N Hectic was bred to Maxfield for 2024.
Saturday, Woodbine
BET365 SUMMER S.-GI, C$522,500, Woodbine, 9-16, 2yo, 1mT, 1:35.70, gd.
1–CARSON'S RUN, 122, c, 2, by Cupid
1st Dam: Hot N Hectic, by Henny Hughes
2nd Dam: Wicked Wish, by Gold Case
3rd Dam: Holy Wish, by Lord At War (Arg)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I
WIN. ($35,000 Ylg '22 KEEJAN; $67,000 Ylg '22 FTKJUL;
$170,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-West Point Thoroughbreds and
Steven Bouchey; B-Frankfort Park Farm (KY); T-Christophe
Clement; J-Dylan Davis. C$300,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0,
$314,529. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–My Boy Prince, 122, c, 2, Cairo Prince–Hopping Not Hoping,
by Silent Name (Jpn). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK
TYPE. (C$115,000 Ylg '22 CANSEP). O-Gary Barber; B-Murray
Smith (ON); T-Mark E. Casse. C$120,000.
3–Go With Gusto, 119, f, 2, Medaglia d'Oro–Itsagiantcauseway,
by Giant's Causeway. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK
TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($160,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT;
$225,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Gary Barber; B-Teneri Farms Inc
(KY); T-Mark E. Casse. C$50,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 3.30, 1.90, 15.25.
Also Ran: Tunechi, Souper Attentive, Western Whirl, King of the Track, Airosa, Bucyk. Scratched: Bolt Enoree, Golden Canary.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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