NEWS
Caressing shocks the elite
Posted: Saturday, November 11, 2000
Churchill-based 47-to-1 longshot wins with strong stretch run
All Carl Pollard and David Vance needed to do was give Caressing the chance many of the 71,181 in the stands did not think she deserved. They gave the lightly regarded filly a shot against some of Thoroughbred racing's elite in the $1,025,920 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) on November 4 at Churchill Downs.
Just as it always does, the 1 1/16-mile Juvenile Fillies attracted the country's best and most accomplished two-year-old fillies from some of the most powerful and successful racing operations. Caressing had a lone stakes victory-in the Bassinet Stakes on September 2 at River Downs-and in most circles would not be considered a top contender.
Breeders' Cup winning trainers D. Wayne Lukas, Bob Baffert, Nick Zito, and David Hofmans were represented by leading contenders, and prominent owners Golden Eagle Farm, Overbrook Farm, and Edward Evans were also seeking to add more glory to an already productive season.
The Juvenile Fillies also featured everyone's "feel-good" story of the week in Mike Griggs and Brian Goetz-a pair of Toyota factory workers from Central Kentucky who had taken second mortgages on their homes to purchase She's a Devil Due for $30,000.
Caressing put a damper on all those story lines when she circled the field six wide on the far turn and held off a late challenge from Platinum Tiara and She's a Devil Due to post a huge upset victory. Ridden by John Velazquez and sent off as the longest shot on the board at 47-to-1, Caressing won by a half-length from Platinum Tiara in 1:42.77, the fastest of the five Juvenile Fillies run at Churchill and fourth fastest of all time.
Vance, who has had a reputation primarily as a successful claiming trainer throughout his career, and Pollard, who owns and operates Hermitage Farm in nearby Goshen, Kentucky, almost did not get the chance to upset the Juvenile Fillies.
Caressing was one of the 17 original pre-entries to draw into the body of the race when the initial entries were taken on October 25, but Vance still wanted a little insurance. He had entered Caressing in Churchill's Pocahontas Stakes the day before the Breeders' Cup as a "safety valve" in case she drew an unfavorable post position.
When she drew post seven in the field of 13, all systems were go for Caressing, who eventually moved in one spot with the race-day scratch of Stonerside Stable's Freefourracing, who was withdrawn by trainer Neil Drysdale because of a tender left front foot.
On paper, Caressing's victory was the second biggest surprise of the eight-race Breeders' Cup program, sandwiched between Spain's huge upset at 55.90-to-1 in the Distaff (G1) and Tiznow's mild upset in the Classic (G1) at 9.20-to-1. Caressing is also the longest-priced winner in the 17-year history of the Juvenile Fillies.
"I did not think this was an upset," said Pollard, who is on the Churchill Downs board of directors. "I have a lot of confidence in David and I am so happy for him. This is a dream come true. We always intended to run in the Juvenile Fillies, but if we had drawn (post positions) 13 or 14, we might have gone in the Pocahontas."
Second in the September 30 Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes (G3) in her final start before the Breeders' Cup, Caressing had trained beautifully from Vance's Churchill base in the two weeks leading up to the race. After two productive half-mile breezes on October 14 and October 22, Caressing showed her readiness with a blistering five-furlong workout in :58.60 just five days before the race.
Although Vance and his 30-horse string are stabled at Churchill, Caressing had only one prior start over the track, finishing fourth in her career debut going 5 1/2 furlongs on July 2.
"It's a plus," said Vance, who had never saddled a Breeders' Cup starter in his long career. "She's been here since early April and she knows the track.
It's a big plus for her."
Rated behind speed
Caressing was rated behind the speed in the early stages by Velazquez, who won the 1998 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) aboard Da Hoss. Thunder Bertie, who had defeated Caressing by 2 3/4 lengths in the Arlington-Washington Lassie, wound up on the lead around the turn when Overbrook Farm's Cash Deal fell to her nose and grabbed a quarter at the start under Jorge Chavez.
Jockey Kent Desormeaux and Thunder Bertie took the field through the opening quarter-mile in :23.19 and the half in :46.55 as Nasty Storm, Oak Leaf Stakes (G1) winner Notable Career, and the undefeated 2.50-to-1 favorite Raging Fever took up the chase down the backstretch.
Caressing was fifth through the first half-mile, while Platinum Tiara, 3.50-to-1 second choice Cindy's Hero, and She's a Devil Due were content to sit back on the backstretch.
Thunder Bertie still clung to a narrow lead past six furlongs in 1:11.10 at the top of the stretch, but Notable Career and Raging Fever, who had victories in the Frizette (G1) and Matron (G1) Stakes in her last two starts, was threatening on the outside. The Bob Baffert-trained Notable Career was also in a perfect position and snatched a brief lead at the three-sixteenths pole with Caressing rolling on the outside.
Velazquez moved Caressing past Notable Career and Raging Fever with a furlong to run and held Platinum Tiara at bay in deep stretch. Platinum Tiara was 1 3/4 lengths in front of She's a Devil Due, who was 1 1/4 lengths clear of late-running Cindy's Hero. Notable Career, Raging Fever, Thunder Bertie, Nasty Storm, Out of Sync, Xtra Heat, Stormy Pick, and Cash Deal, which fell to her nose at the start, completed the field.
"She was a professional. (Vance) wanted to break out of there to get some sort of position," Velazquez said. "He did tell me when you make your run, pull her to the outside and she'll give you the best she's got, and believe me, she did. I mean, she really ran awesome."
Through Lexington-based bloodstock agent Mike Ryan, Pollard purchased Caressing for $180,000 on the second day of the 1999 Keeneland September yearling sale.
Bred in Kentucky by Brereton Jones, Caressing is the first graded stakes winner for Honour and Glory and is out of Lovin Touch, by Majestic Prince. A half sister to stakes winner Platinum Blonde and two other stakes-placed runners, Caressing is now 3-1-0 in five starts for $680,242 in earnings.
"I'm an accountant, not a horseman," Pollard said. "David has been high on her from the beginning and so was Wilhelmina Combs, who broke her down in Florida. I never even saw her until she walked into my barn.
"Mike Ryan bought her for me. I usually give him an order and we get two or three fillies with enough pedigree that if we get lucky, they'll make good broodmares."
Vance said Caressing would be at his Churchill barn for ten days, and then given "45 to 60 days off" at Hermitage. She will rejoin him at Oaklawn Park next season and be pointed toward either the Fantasy Stakes (G2) or Ashland Stakes (G1), with the primary target being the Kentucky Oaks (G1).
Tough losses
Trainer Mark Hennig said Raging Fever, who has four stakes victories this season, should be considered for championship honors.
"She's been going all year and has won from five-eighths to a mile and a sixteenth," Hennig said. "She's won two Grade 1s and a Grade 2. It's not like she finished last; she gave us a good run and gave us a good thrill."
Florida-based trainer Joe Waunsh sang the praises of Platinum Tiara all week, and the daughter of Cozzene drew raves from onlookers with her purposeful morning gallops over the Churchill surface. Waunsh, who sent Scratch Pad to a ninth-place finish in last year's Juvenile Fillies, knew Platinum Tiara was not as bad as her fifth-place finish in Keeneland's Walmac International Alcibiades Stakes (G2) on October 15, and she proved him right.
Rated in seventh through the opening half-mile by jockey Shane Sellers, Platinum Tiara saved ground around the far turn but had her momentum stopped a quarter-mile from the finish.
"I had a great trip until I came to the quarter pole. (Velazquez) had a clear trip the whole way," Sellers said. "No excuses, but when you get beat a half-length and your momentum is stopped ... that's horse racing. My filly, she ran her heart out and might have been the best today. She just didn't get lucky."
Goetz and Griggs were looking for a little more luck from She's a Devil Due, who has turned into one of the country's top two-year-old fillies. Winner of the Alcibiades and Top Flight Stakes at Arlington, the daughter of Devil His Due was 4-for-4 heading into the Juvenile Fillies. Ridden by Mark Guidry, She's a Devil Due was 11th through the first six furlongs before making an eight-wide sweep on the far turn to reach contention.
Guidry later said She's a Devil Due felt like a winner at the top of the lane, but she could not get past the top two.
"I thought she had dead aim on them," trainer Ken McPeek said. "But we're pleased with her. Any time you run well in one of these you have to be pleased. She did everything we asked of her. She's a good filly, although I thought for sure we'd beat (Platinum Tiara)."
Tom Law is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer.
