By Mike Curry
Stakes winner Teuflesberg set an uncontested pace on Monday in the $250,000 Southwest Stakes and held on under jockey Stewart Elliott to pull off a stunning 1 1/2-length upset victory at odds of 23.40-to-1.
Trained by Jamie Sanders, who owns the bay Johannesburg colt in partnership with Gary S. Logsdon and Donnie Kelly, Teuflesberg entered off a third-place finish behind Hard Spun in the Lecomte Stakes (G3) on January 13 at Fair Grounds.
Teuflesberg turned the tables on his familiar foe Hard Spun, who was undefeated in four starts entering the Southwest and sent off as the overwhelming 1-to-2 favorite in the one-mile race for three-year-olds.
Teuflesberg broke alertly under Elliott, who guided dual classic winner Smarty Jones to a win in the 2004 Southwest, and streaked to a clear lead through an opening quarter in :23.68 and a half-mile in :47.90.
Forty Grams, Starbase, and Grade 3 winner Xchanger stalked the pace while Hard Spun was reserved in sixth under jockey Mario Pino.
Hard Spun ranged up menacingly from four wide on the turn but Teuflesberg kicked away when roused by Elliott and opened a 2 1/2-length advantage in early stretch. Teuflesberg completed one mile in 1:38.20 over a fast main track
Grade 3 winner Officer Rocket (GB) closed willingly to finish second, one-length in front of Forty Grams, but never seriously threatened the victor. Hard Spun flattened out in the stretch to finish fourth.
Teuflesberg was highly regarded as a juvenile by his connections, who started him in the Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) off a maiden victory. After an unplaced finish in the Juvenile, Teuflesberg won an allowance race by 6 1/2 lengths and closed his two-year-old campaign with a 2 3/4-length win in the Sugar Bowl Stakes.
Teuflesberg improved to four wins from 13 career starts and increased his earnings to $317,931.
Bred in Kentucky by Richard Giacopelli, Teuflesberg is the first winner from two starters out of the placed Devil’s Bag mare St. Michele.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times daily news editor
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