By Alan Carasso
Saturday's GIII Kelso Stakes lost a fair bit of its intrigue when Godolphin's Mysterious Night (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) was declared from the race, and it was eFive Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) who proved the chief beneficiary, defeating Talk of the Nation (Quality Road) in what more or less amounted to an eight-furlong match race.
Call Me Harry (Street Sense), easily the longest shot in the field of four, led under the wire for the first time, but was content to let the second betting choice go on with it at the entrance to the backstretch run. Carl Spackler had proved in previous runs that he is adaptable to any race shape and lay third with six furlongs to run and was determined to not allow Talk of the Nation a lonely lead through the middle sections of the race.
Quietly ridden and kept right at the front-runner's hind quarters entering the second turn, Carl Spackler poured in the pressure in earnest approaching the stretch and the battle was joined. Shoulder to shoulder passing the eighth pole, the odds-on pop had all the answers and inched clear for a third win at the graded level. Northern Invader (Collected) rallied for third.
Off-the-pace winner of the GII Hall of Fame Stakes here last August, Carl Spackler raced handier to the speed in the GIII Saranac Stakes before rolling home at long odds-on. Sidelined thereafter, the homebred pegged back a game Talk of the Nation in a graded-stakes quality renewal of the Opening Verse Stakes at Churchill May 2, but he couldn't go with them late in n the GIII Poker Stakes June 8 and settled for a fifth-place effort.
“I didn't really react to the [Poker] result,” said winning trainer Chad Brown. “I just got him back to his normal training routine and he redeemed himself today. Tyler [Gaffalione] rode a beautiful race. I know it's only a four-horse field, but it was a little tricky into that first turn to figure out where he's going to be. When [Call Me Harry] took back, he had to call an audible and it was a winning move, for sure.”
Pedigree Notes:
On behalf of Bob Edwards's operation, Mike Ryan acquired Zindaya for $550,000 at the 2015 Keeneland November Sale and she was turned over to Chad Brown. A decision to keep the mare in training at five was rewarded when Zindaya won the Intercontinental Stakes and later the GII Goldikova Stakes at Santa Anita.
Edwards had Carl Spackler consigned through Ballylinch Stud to the 2021 Tattersalls October Sale, but elected to retain him when bidding stalled out at 350,000gns ($499,172), a choice while looks very wise in retrospect. Regal Gallery (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), the 3-year-old half-sister to Carl Spackler, cost Godolphin 450,000gns at Tattersalls in 2022, while the juvenile full-brother, commanded the same price from A.C. Elliott at last year's October Sale. Zindaya, a half-sister to American Grade I winner and top Indian stallion Western Aristocrat (Mr. Greeley), foaled a colt by Uncle Mo this past Feb. 15.
The Cinderella Story continues! CARL SPACKLER wins the Grade 3 Kelso Stakes with @Tyler_Gaff aboard for trainer Chad Brown. pic.twitter.com/LTxCJsoYxe
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) July 13, 2024
Saturday, Saratoga
KELSO S.-GIII, $162,750, Saratoga, 7-13, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:34.72, fm.
1–CARL SPACKLER (IRE), 122, c, 4, by Lope de Vega (Ire)
1st Dam: Zindaya (GSW, $567,240),
by More Than Ready
2nd Dam: Aristocratic Lady, by Kris S.
3rd Dam: American Dynasty, by Quiet American
'TDN Rising Star'. (350,000gns RNA Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-e Five
Racing Thoroughbreds; B-Fifth Avenue Bloodstock (IRE);
T-Chad C. Brown; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $96,250. Lifetime Record:
8-5-1-0, $704,475. Werk Nick Rating: C.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Talk of the Nation, 118, c, 4, Quality Road–She's Not Here,
by Street Cry (Ire). ($470,000 RNA 2yo '22 FTFMAR). O-Allen
Stable, Inc. and CHC INC.; B-Chc Inc. (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$35,000.
3–Northern Invader, 118, c, 4, Collected–Androeah, by Arch.
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($65,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV;
$160,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL; $310,000 2yo '22 OBSMAR). O-West
Point Thoroughbreds and David Ingordo; B-Anderson Farms
Ont. Inc. & Peter A. Berglar Racing Interests, LLC. (ON);
T-Cherie DeVaux. $21,000.
Margins: HF, 3 3/4, 11 3/4. Odds: 0.75, 1.60, 5.00.
Also Ran: Call Me Harry. Scratched: Mysterious Night (Ire), Repo Rocks.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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