Though he hasn't displayed the form that saw him named champion turf male in 2020, Channel Maker is still showing he can be competitive on the track in his 8-year-old season. Given five months off following his fifth-place effort behind Yibir (Dubawi {Ire}) in last November's GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, Channel Maker returned sharp off the layoff to take the GII Elkhorn S. at Keeneland Apr. 23. When last seen, he was never part of the race after blowing the start, coming in ninth in Belmont's GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan S. June 11.
Off as the 6-5 betting and sentimental favorite, the veteran got a better break this time and quickly found his way to the front, setting the tempo along the rail into the first turn with Highest Honors not far off in second. The pair raced one-two up the backstretch through unhurried fractions of :25.02 and :50.47. As the pace began to quicken into the far turn, Channel Maker had pressure from the outside as both Highest Honor and Solider Rising (GB) came running. Under a hard drive, he fought back against Soldier Rising who posed the more significant threat, sticking a head back in front inside the final sixteenth and just holding on to win by a neck.
“He always tries–that's him,” said winning jockey Luis Saez. “He's always waiting on other horses, and today he came to the top of the stretch and was fighting. He finally got the jump in the last bit. He fights and he doesn't win that impressively, but he can run in a little stake or a big stake the same. He just wants to be there first and he doesn't want to give in to anyone.”
Channel Maker is a full-brother to Canadian champion Johnny Bear and a half-brother to SW & GISP Court Return (Court Vision), who is his dam's last reported offspring. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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