TDN RISING STARS

January 30, 2011 - Fair Grounds, Race 5, , USD $49,000, 1m70y, NW1LX

Machen, c, 3, 2008 by Distorted Humor

1st Dam: Ready's Gal (MGSW & GISP, $609,959), by More Than Ready
2nd Dam: Exquisite Mistress, by Nasty and Bold
3rd Dam: El Hamo, by Search for Gold

Owner: Courtlandt Farm
Breeder: Courtlandt Farm (Ky)
Trainer: Neil Howard

Machen, who caused a stir with his 5 1/2-length debut victory going six furlongs at Fair Grounds Jan. 2, proved that win was no fluke with a dominant win Sunday in New Orleans. The chestnut colt, sent off at 1-9, broke tardily but rushed into contention and was rank in behind foes on the first turn. Pulling under a Jamie Theriot stranglehold behind pedestrian splits down the backstretch, Machen was forced to wait for racing room into the stretch after three-quarters in 1:15.61, split foes in upper stretch and burst clear despite drifting out to win by five lengths under a hand ride. Don Dulce (Maria's Mon) was second. "It was only his second start and, it's funny, he's got a great demeanor, but these three-year-olds, they're still kind of young and they're looking around," trainer Neil Howard said. "They're not completely smooth yet. I think all of that will subside away. Jamie looked like he was sitting on horse. He was just kind of sitting there, perched up. It looked like he had plenty of horse under him and then when that hole opened up he accelerated beautifully. You couldn't not be happy with what you saw there." Howard said the Feb. 19 GII Risen Star S. could be next for Machen. Howard also trains promising sophomores Prime Cut (Bernstein), also owned by Courtlandt, and GIII Lecomte S. winner Wilkinson (Lemon Drop Kid). Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $46,800.