NEWS
Tin Cup Chalice sweeps Big Apple Triple
Posted: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 7:02 PM
TIN CUP CHALICE
Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo
by Mike Curry
Pacesetter Tin Cup Chalice dug in gamely to fend off fast-closing runner-up That’srightofficer in the $150,000 Albany Stakes and remain undefeated on Wednesday at Saratoga Race Course.
The Crusader Sword gelding prevailed by a head in the Albany and completed the Big Apple Triple for New York-breds to earn a $250,000 bonus from the New York State Thoroughbred Breeding and Racing Program. Trained by Michael LeCesse, Tin Cup Chalice won the Mike Lee Stakes at Belmont Park on June 22 and the New York Derby on July 12 at Finger Lakes to earn the chance at the lucrative bonus.
Sent off as the 2.35-to-1 third choice, Tin Cup Chalice set an uncontested pace through leisurely fractions of :25.66, :50.88, and 1:15.33 through six furlongs in the 1 1/8-mile race. He turned back graded stakes winner Big Truck and classic-placed stakes winner Icabad Crane in early stretch and refused to allow That’srightofficer past in the closing strides to win in 1:51.33 on a track rated as fast.
"He's a nice horse and has done everything right," said winning jockey Pedro Rodriguez. "Mike did a nice job getting this horse ready for this race. We were very fortunate that the speed [Writingonthewall] scratched out of the race. We knew we had control of the pace."
Owned by LeCesse and Scott Vanlaer, Tin Cup Chalice improved to seven wins in as many starts and boosted his earnings to $565,720.
Bred in New York by LeCesse, Tin Cup Chalice is out of the winning Spectacular Bid mare Twice Forbidden, who also produced stakes winner Don Corleone.
That’srightofficer was 4 1/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher and 1.95-to-1 favorite Big Truck, winner of the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) on March 15. Federico Tesio Stakes winner Icabad Crane, the third-place finisher in the Preakness Stakes (G1), swept into contention with a bold move on the turn but flattened out in the stretch and faded to last in the six-horse field.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
