NEWS
MassCap better second time around
Posted: Saturday, June 10, 2000
Running Stag wins New England's premier race after running second last year
This was the second Massachusetts Handicap (G2) celebration for the Running Stag road show. Last year his connections, who watched the race from the Suffolk Downs paddock situated just beyond the wire, were whooping and yelling and jumping with the unmatchable excitement of an upset as Running Stag neared the wire.
Massachusetts H. (G2)
Suffolk Downs, June 3, $600,000, 11/8 miles, fast, 1:49.45
1—RUNNING STAG, h. 6, Cozzene—Fruhlingstag (Fr), by *Orsini II.
2—Out of Mind (Brz), h. 5, =Sestero (Brz)—=Optativa (Brz), by Janus II (Arg).
3—David, c. 4, Mt. Livermore—Fateful Beauty, by Turkoman.
Behrens was steadily closing ground, but he looked beaten. For a moment, the squat structure that houses the scale room blocked their view of the finish. When the two horses emerged from behind the obstruction, Behrens was ahead by a half -length. The celebration quickly shifted to the clubhouse box of William L. Clifton and Rudlein Stable, owners of Behrens.
Trainer Philip Mitchell, assistant trainer Roger Teal, and groom Tony Bishop enjoyed tremendous success with Running Stag following the 1999 MassCap. But each has replayed that finish in his mind 100 times and felt a twinge of crushing disappointment just as often.
For MassCap 2000, there was no premature revelry, because experience teaches well. And it appeared that the same disappointing scenario might play itself out through the last 100 yards of the stretch run.
There were, however some notable differences. This time, it was Sierra Thoroughbreds' emerging star Out of Mind (Brz) closing ground in the stretch. This time, Running Stag's connections secured a vantage point unobstructed by the scale room. And this time Running Stag won.
"Don't do this to me; I'm getting old," said a thrilled and relieved Mitchell, moments after the race. "This was our goal from last year. The reception we got from the Boston crowd made it all the more important. There's nothing like coming back to the scene of defeat and putting that right."
Running Stag broke sharply from the far outside post in the field of eight. He left the gate as the 1.60-to-1 favorite of 17,847 fans who turned out for the MassCap on a gorgeous late-spring day in Boston. Along with their counterparts at simulcast outlets across North America, Suffolk patrons bet $4,943,138 on the full card, the second largest one-day handle ever for the track.
Regular rider Shane Sellers opted to honor his same-day commitment to ride Heritage of Gold at Churchill Downs, so John Velazquez was in the irons of Running Stag. Velazquez angled his mount toward the rail but was caught four wide around the clubhouse turn. The pacesetter, as expected, was Barry Schwartz's speed specialist David, who zipped through a quarter-mile in :22.91, a half in :46.54, and three-quarters in 1:10.62. It was not the easy lead that trainer Michael Hushion envisioned when he shipped north instead of trying the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) on May 29, run a few steps away from his Belmont Park barn.
David faced pressure every step of the way from Running Stag and from Pleasant Breeze, pinch-hitting for trainer H. James Bond. Bond chose to scratch defending champion Behrens earlier in the week because of a stone bruise. It was a rough week for Bond. In a race-day decision forced by the injury of Jorge Chavez a day earlier, Bond chose leading Suffolk Downs rider Josiah Hampshire Jr. to handle the mount on Pleasant Breeze.
Coming off a second-place finish to Golden Missile in the Pimlico Special Handicap (G1) just two weeks earlier, Pleasant Breeze began to tire after six furlongs, leaving the work to Running Stag. Velazquez pressed the accelerator ever so slightly near the three-eighths pole, applying a withering challenge to David.
Out of the clouds
Coming out of the turn, Velazquez stomped on the gas, and Running Stag responded with a burst. Velazquez kept his mount to task through the stretch, looking back several times for the oncoming challenge from Out of Mind. It came, but it was not enough. Out of Mind has enjoyed success this year after changing to a one run, late-charging style, but he fell as many as 18 lengths off the pace here.
"I don't want to let him get too good at that," joked trainer Richard Mandella. "It looks like he thinks now it's a game. We've got to work on that."
Running Stag crossed the finish line 11/4 lengths in front, earning $400,000 of the $600,000 purse for owner Richard J. Cohen. He completed the 11/8 miles in 1:49.45, more than two seconds slower than the track and stakes record set by Skip Away in 1997. Out of Mind finished second, while David held on gamely for third. Vision and Verse was fourth, never really a factor. Local hopes Gander and Makeyourselfathome were sixth and seventh. Boston Celtics coach Rick Pitino's The Groom Is Red was last.
If last year's form holds, the MassCap will set up another successful year stateside for the British-based Running Stag, most likely followed by a stud career in Kentucky.
"There have been some inquiries" about retirement in the Bluegrass State, said Mitchell. "There may be a few more after that."
Running Stag is a six-year-old son of Cozzene out of Fruhlingstag (Fr), by *Orsini II. Hmm. A French-bred mare with a German name, by a German-bred stallion with an Italian name. Throw in Caro (Ire) (an Irish-bred horse with an Italian name trained in France), sire of Cozzene, and you have an international family tree that befits a horse who has raced in four countries, on seven different tracks, just in the past year.
With the exception of the Dubai World Cup (G1) earlier this spring, he has performed most creditably in each of his nine races following the 1999 MassCap. Curiously, he has won only in the United States.
Last year, "Stag" vaulted from the MassCap to a convincing victory in the Brooklyn Handicap (G2) after just 12 days of rest. Mitchell will try to repeat the feat this year, attempting to defend his Brooklyn title on June 11 at Belmont, this time on just seven days of rest. Sellers is expected to return to the saddle.
Mitchell plans to return to England after the Brooklyn, returning later this summer for the Whitney Handicap (G1) on August 8 at Saratoga, and then the revival of the Arlington Million (G1) on August 19 at Arlington Park. Running Stag was reported in fine condition the morning after the MassCap, and Mitchell insists his iron horse, who has a record of 7-11-2 in 37 career starts and earnings of $1,578,277, is up to the task ahead.
"I don't have any problem with it," he said. "I know the horse doesn't."
Moseley upset
Local longshot King Roller was the upset winner of the $186,250 James B. Moseley Breeders' Cup Handicap on the MassCap undercard. King Roller is owned by private investor Anthony Pyliotis of Saugus, Massachusetts, and is trained by Suffolk Downs regular Peter Bazeos. At odds of 37.20-to-1, the nine-year-old gelding prevailed by three-quarters of a length, stopping the timer at 1:10.15 for the six-furlong test. Race favorite (1.40-to-1) Run Johnny, with Jerry Bailey up, was fourth.
The victory unleashed a wild celebration among three dozen friends and relatives of Pyliotis and Bazeos, some of whom traveled from Greece for the event.
"They're all crazy," said Bazeos, who was nearly knocked over by friends rushing into the winner's circle. "One win and they all go crazy."
Steve Myrick is a New England correspondent for Thoroughbred Times.
