NEWS
Temple City earns first stakes win in Cougar II
Posted: Friday, July 30, 2010 11:25 PM
by Mike Curry
Temple City set an uncontested pace in the $125,000 Cougar II Handicap (G3) on Friday night at Del Mar and had plenty of stamina in reserve when challenged in the stretch, surging clear to win by 3 1/4 lengths and earn his first stakes win.
The five-year-old Dynaformer horse also earned an automatic starting spot in the 1 3/4-mile Breeders’ Cup Marathon (G3) on November 5 at Churchill Downs via the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series.
Sent off as the 6-to-5 second betting choice in the five-horse field, Temple City quickly took charge and set a measured pace under Joe Talamo through a half-mile in :50.53 and six furlongs in an easy 1:16.19 in the 1 1/2-mile race. Temple City maintained a clear advantage into the stretch and easily shook off bids from graded stakes winner Unusual Suspect and 2009 Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) winner Richard’s Kid.
"He was just so relaxed today; going around there so easy. [Trainer Carla Gaines] said just slow it down as much as you can. I thought it felt about right. He's got such a big, fluid stride on him,” Talamo said. “When they came to him, he just kicked away. I asked him and he was gone."
Temple City covered the distance in 2:30.46 on the synthetic Polytrack surface. Trained by Gaines for owner-breeder B. Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm, Temple City won for the fourth time in 12 career starts and boosted his earnings to $273,900. He is out of the unraced Danzig mare Curriculum.
Temple City entered off a runner-up finish, beaten by a head by Global Hunter (Arg), in the American Handicap (G2) on the turf at Hollywood Park on July 4.
"I just kept hoping he'd keep going. We got some soft fractions and he finished really well," said Gaines, who expects to point Temple City to the Breeders’ Cup Marathon but was not sure about a possible start in the Pacific Classic on August 28 at Del Mar.
Unusual Suspect and 11-to-10 favorite Richard’s Kid battled gamely to the finish line with Unusual Suspect edging that foe by a half-length for second.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
