NEWS
Cashing in on the Dollar
Posted: Saturday, December 02, 2000
Dollar Bill bounces back from poor Breeders' Cup effort to win Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes
Dallas Stewart learned a lot during his apprenticeship with D. Wayne Lukas, lessons that have paid off in the early days of what is shaping up to be an outstanding training career.
Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2)
Churchill Downs, November 25, $218,800, 11/16 miles, sloppy, 1:47.18
1-DOLLAR BILL, c. 2, Peaks and Valleys-Saratoga Dame, by Saratoga Six.
2-Holiday Thunder, c. 2, Thunder Gulch-Magical Holiday, by Slew o' Gold.
3-Gift of the Eagle, c. 2, Islefaxyou-Bob's Big Girl, by Well Decorated.
Stewart needed two of the virtues Lukas taught-patience and faith-in the days leading up to the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) on the November 25 closing day of Churchill Downs's fall meeting.
Dollar Bill, the two-year-old Peaks and Valleys colt Stewart trains for Gary and Mary West, was never in the hunt three weeks earlier at Churchill in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), finishing tenth. But he continued to train well at the track, and Stewart decided to try again in the $218,800 Kentucky Jockey Club.
Stewart's patience and faith paid off, as Dollar Bill charged down the stretch under Calvin Borel to catch 6-to-5 favorite Holiday Thunder and win the 1 1/16-mile event by 1 1/4 lengths.
"He just didn't show up (on Breeders' Cup day)," Stewart said. "But he was training well and working awesome. I was concerned because he had run bad over the track, but then he had come back and trained so well. It's like Wayne used to say, 'If you believe in them, you just keep coming back.' "
The late scratch of morning-line favorite Meetyouathebrig because of a sloppy track left the field with six for the race. At the break, Dollar Bill dropped back to the rear while Percy Hope opened a clear lead in :23.88 and :48.46.
Entering the far turn, Holiday Thunder engaged the leader on the outside and drew clear by a length after six furlongs in 1:13.96. Meanwhile, Borel was searching for racing room at his favorite place, the rail, but was not finding it.
Instead, he swung Dollar Bill out toward the center of the track entering the stretch and moved up to challenge Holiday Thunder. Dollar Bill drew off inside the eighth pole. The 2.30-to-1 second choice covered the distance in 1:47.18.
Winning for the second time in five starts, Dollar Bill earned $135,656 to take his career tally to $258,696. He probably will enter the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail by running in the one-mile Lecomte Handicap on January 27 at Fair Grounds.
"The big thing is you know at this point you've got them stretched out already and you know he likes it," Stewart said. "You've got a comfort level and you don't have to worry about that. His next start will be a mile and we'll just go through the (Louisiana Derby [G2]) series."
Picking up a winner
Closing day was tough on jockey Charles Woods Jr. but was a breakthrough for newcomer Justin Vitek.
Golden Rod S. (G2)
Churchill Downs, November 25, $223,200, 1 1/16 miles, sloppy, 1:48.84
1-MISS PICKUMS, f. 2, Afternoon Deelites-Manila Rain, by Manila.
2-Nasty Storm, f. 2, Gulch-A Stark Is Born, by Graustark.
3-My White Corvette, f. 2, Tarr Road-Wind Chime, by Marfa.
Complaining of knee soreness, the veteran Woods took off his mounts early in the day. Three of them went on to win, including Miss Pickums, whom Vitek guided to a three-length victory over Nasty Storm in the $223,200 Golden Rod Stakes (G2).
"I really feel for Charlie; it's a shame he couldn't ride her," said trainer Paul McGee. "Justin's a hard worker and rides a lot of horses for me in the morning. My dad has been his biggest fan and now I'm his second-biggest fan."
After grabbing a quarter early in the race, Miss Pickums stayed near the rail, easily stalking the early fractions of :23.71, :48.22, and 1:14.76 set by 9-to-5 favorite Cash Deal. Vitek started to send Miss Pickums up the rail after her rival approaching the stretch when Cash Deal drifted back to the inside, forcing him to check.
Vitek coolly angled Miss Pickums out five-wide in the stretch and went after Nasty Storm, who had made a five-wide move on the turn to open up a daylight lead in upper stretch. The Afternoon Deelites filly took the lead with a sixteenth to go and flew home, covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:48.84 in the slop.
"I kind of got a little worried because I had to wait a little bit (to move in the stretch)," said Vitek, who recorded the biggest victory of his seven-year riding career. "But when she grabbed back hold of the bit, I knew I had it."
Miss Pickums earned $138,384 for owners Jan, Mace, and Samantha Siegel. She is now 3-for-7 lifetime with $255,119 in earnings.
A championship performance?
For most of the summer and early fall as Jostle emerged as the favorite for champion three-year-old filly honors, Overbrook Farm's Surfside was being brought back into form by Lukas.
Clark H. (G2)
Churchill Downs, November 24, $445,600, 1 1/8 miles, fast, 1:48.75
1-SURFSIDE, f. 3, Seattle Slew-Flanders, by Seeking the Gold.
2-Guided Tour, g. 4, Hansel-Dancing Mahmoud, by Topsider.
3-Maysville Slew, g. 4, Slew City Slew-Shotgun Romance, by Smile.
The Seattle Slew filly's injury-interrupted season-she was sidelined for six months by ankle chips-received a significant boost when, off one prep race, she finished second to stablemate Spain in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Churchill while Jostle finished last. Twenty days later, Surfside moved clearly into the Eclipse Award picture when she led all the way to defeat males in the $445,600 Clark Handicap (G2).
Surfside on paper was the lone speed, and with Pat Day aboard she filled that role exquisitely, jumping out to a two-length lead after an opening quarter in :23.80. With no one offering significant pressure, the 8-to-5 second choice was able to set easy fractions of :47.55 and 1:11.76, then drew off in deep stretch after Guided Tour had closed to within 1 1/2 lengths. Surfside won by four lengths over Guided Tour, covering the distance in 1:48.75, the fastest Clark in 39 years. Aptitude, the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) runner-up and 3-to-2 Clark favorite, was in midpack for six furlongs, then backpedaled to eighth.
"I don't have a vote (for champion three-year-old filly), but I think this makes a tremendous statement," Lukas said.
Surfside earned $276,272 and now has career earnings of $1,824,987 from eight victories in 13 starts. Lukas said she would ship to California on November 27 to prepare for a four-year-old campaign.
Spain upset in Falls City
Spain's final memories of Churchill were not as joyous as Surfside's, as she was beaten a nose by Bordelaise (Arg) in the $271,000 Falls City Handicap (G3) on Thanksgiving day.
Falls City H. (G3)
Churchill Downs, November 23, $271,000, 1 1/8 miles, fast, 1:50.01
1-BORDELAISE (ARG), m. 5, =Espacial (Arg)-=Maconnaisse (Arg), by *Keats.
2-Spain, f. 3, Thunder Gulch-Drina, by Regal and Royal.
3-On a Soapbox, f. 4, Mi Cielo-Makin a Statement, by Stage Door Johnny.
After allowing Atelier and Bordelaise to duel through fractions of :24.25, :48.78, and 1:13.73, Victor Espinoza moved Spain up from fourth to take the lead from Bordelaise at the top of the stretch. Spain appeared destined to justify her 1.30-to-1 favoritism.
Bordelaise, running on the rail, was not finished. The five-year-old Espacial (Arg) mare, who was second to Riboletta (Brz) three times this year, hung tough down the lane and under vigorous urging from Day got up in a bob of heads. The time was 1:50.01 for 1 1/8 miles.
"She went by me at the head of the stretch and my filly offered minimal resistance," Day said. "I got the stick in my left hand at the three-sixteenths pole and hammered her a couple times and she said, 'Well, maybe.' It took a little time to gain momentum, but in the shadow of the line she attacked it with a vengeance."
Making her first start for Bill Mott, Bordelaise earned $168,020 for owner Haras Santa Maria de Araras. She has seven wins in 21 starts and earnings of $568,529. She will ship to Payson Park Training Center in Florida to prepare for the Gulfstream Park meeting.
TWIN SPIRES-Despite a slip in on-track attendance, Churchill Downs finished the 24-day fall meeting with record total handle of $160,512,766, up 7.2% over 1999 and 7.4% over 1998. Total attendance was 180,259, down 6.6% from last year (192,989) and 10.8% from 1998 (202,153). Attendance and handle figures do not include the Breeders' Cup days Churchill hosted in 1998 and this year, and the abbreviated race card the track offered last year on Breeders' Cup day. É Pat Day won his 16th riding title, and 29th overall, with 39 winners. Elliott Walden and Bernie Flint shared the trainers title with ten wins apiece. There also was a tie for leading owners, with Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, McKee Stable, and Jan, Mace, and Samantha Siegel winning six races each.
John Harrell is a staff writer for Thoroughbred Times.
