By Bill Finley
In most barns, after winning a $500,000 handicap at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 1 the 7-year-old gelding Goliad (War Front) would have gone to the sidelines, the trainer not daring to run him back in less than six weeks or so. Not Goliad. Hall of Fame conditioner Richard Mandella brought him back in six days.
With so much money available at Kentucky Downs, a number of trainers ignored conventional wisdom and gave their horses two starts at the seven-day meet. That meant layoffs of no more than 13 days, with some horses running in as little as six days. Fifteen horses made two starts at the meet, and the results were eye-opening. Four of the 15 won in their second try at Kentucky Downs.
The list is headed by Goliad, who won the $2 million GIII Mint Millions Stakes just six days after the win in the handicap race. He beat GSP Cash Equity (Fr) (Toronado {Ire}) who was also coming back in six days after running in the same handicap. Goliad paid $21.14 and the Goliad/Cash Equity exacta paid $232.84.
A third Mint Millions starter, GSP Irish Aces (Mshawish), came back after nine days, but finished sixth.
“It all depends on the horse,” Mandella said. “He's a big strong horse and that track you have a horse-for-course situation. Once we knew that he liked it we didn't hesitate to go right back. Over the years, I haven't run a lot back that quick but among the ones that I did I can't remember one that didn't run well. You usually have to give them a rest after that. I was surprised that he beat as good horses as did. He was full of confidence and that helped.”
With their horse making two starts at the meet, Goliad's owners Perry and Ramona Bass made $1,482,800 in just six days.
On the Sept 8 card two horses who were making their second start at the meet won. Tiztastic (Tiz the Law) won the $1 million Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile Stakes for Steve Asmussen. Five races prior Black Iron (Constitution) won a maiden special weight race off a 10-day layoff. He, too, was trained by Asmussen.
Tiztastic | Coady Media
Tiztastic, a two-time winner at the meet, made $4,000 in his first start, running fifth in a maiden race at Saratoga. Over the span of two races and 10 days, he earned another $738,300 for the ownership group of Winchell Thoroughbreds and Coolmore.
The fourth winner among the group was Ramsey Pond (Divisidero) the winner of a maiden race for Saffie Joseph Jr. after a 13-day layoff.
“She bounced out of her first start there really good and we had another chance to run for that kind of money,” Joseph said. “It was the same race [a maiden special weight] that she ran in the first time. You don't often see that, the same race being carded just 13 days apart. You have to do what is right for your horse and she was showing me that she was ready for this. They do this quite often in Europe.”
No trainer was more willing to run his horses back on short rest than Joseph. He had five entered that made two starts at the meet. In addition to Ramsey Pond and Cash Equity, he finished second with Bellavinino (Get Stormy) in the $1 million Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies off a 10-day rest. The juvenile filly is being offered in the Inglis Digital September Sale later this month. Joseph also had success Axthelm (Into Mischief), who ran third in the GII Turf Sprint S. off a six-day layoff.
“It's amazing how well all these horses [running for the second time at the meet] did. It was a great betting angle,” Joseph said.
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