NEWS
Cowboy Cal wins Bryan Station via disqualification
Posted: Sunday, October 12, 2008 6:51 PM
COWBOY CAL (along hedge) BATTLES SEASCAPE AT KEENELAND
Photo by Z, courtesy of Keeneland
by Mike Curry
Bob and Janice McNair’s homebred Cowboy Cal ended a three-race winless stretch with a victory via disqualification on Sunday in the $150,000 Bryan Station Stakes (G3) at Keeneland Race Course.
Cowboy Cal surged past pacesetter St. Joe to seize command under John Velazquez at the top of the stretch and Seaspeak accelerated on his outside under Kent Desormeaux to challenge. The duo engaged in a physical duel through the stretch with Seaspeak drifting in and bumping with Cowboy Cal on several occasions before edging in front in the closing strides to prevail by a head.
Following an inquiry, stewards disqualified Seaspeak for interference in the stretch and awarded the victory to Cowboy Cal. The winning time for one mile on firm turf was 1:35.70.
“My horse got to the lead and started waiting and when the other horse came to him, he started fighting right back. He put his head in front of the other horse, and the other horse started leaning on him and kind of took him off balance down the lane,” Velazquez said. “[Seaspeak] leaned on his back end and [Cowboy Cal] kind of lost his balance the last 100 yards, and he put a head in front of me and that’s how I got beat.”
The three-year-old Giant’s Causeway colt is the only horse owned by the McNairs.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum’s Darley operation purchased Bob and Janice McNair’s Stonerside Stable on September 1 for an undisclosed price. The transaction included the main 2,000-acre farm in Paris, Kentucky, the training center in Aiken, South Carolina, about 80 horses in training, and approximately 170 broodmares, yearlings, and weanlings.
Bob McNair said the deal with Darley was made so he could focus on his National Football League franchise, the Houston Texans. Sunday proved quite a day for the McNairs as homebred Cowboy Cal improved to four wins in eight starts and the Texans defeated the Miami Dolphins on a touchdown with three seconds remaining to earn their first win of the season.
“This is the first horse to run in the McNairs’ name after selling Stonerside. So it’s quite a thrill for us,” said John Adger, racing manager for the McNairs. “We love Keeneland. It’s the very best racetrack in America, maybe the world, and we always love being here and being a part of it.”
John Long, a friend of the McNairs who died from cancer, gave the couple’s son Cal the nickname “Cowboy Cal” 34 years ago. The nickname is the inspiration for the horse’s name and one of the reasons they decided to retain ownership of Cowboy Cal in the deal with Darley.
Cowboy Cal could make his next start in the Hollywood Derby (G1) on November 30 and the McNairs will keep him in training as a four-year-old.
Making his first start since finishing ninth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) on May 3 at Churchill Downs, Cowboy Cal was positioned in ideal stalking position in second as St. Joe sprinted clear and set a strong pace through an opening quarter in :23.28 and a half-mile in :46.12.
Cowboy Cal overhauled St. Joe at the top of the stretch while Seaspeak, who was reserved in fifth early while, mounted his bid from four wide. Cowboy Cal and Seaspeak shook free from the rest of the field, which set up the extended battle through the lane.
Deal Making rallied from ninth to finish third, 3 1/4 lengths behind the top two finishers.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Cowboy Cal opened his season with a win in the Tropical Park Derby (G3) on January 1 at Calder Race Course. He finished second in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) on April 12 on the main track at Keeneland in his final prep for the Derby.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
