It helps to have a lot of luck, man.
In the case of Alpine Stables and trainer Vito Armata there was also a bit of studying that went into the claim of LUCKMAN on June 24 for $25,000 from DJ Stable and trainer Mark Casse. Luckman not only won his maiden the day he was claimed, but won again on July 24 for $40,000, on Aug.. 20 for optional claiming and on September 10 at Woodbine, roared to victory in the $125,000 Toronto Cup Stakes.
That’s $141,000 back from the initial drop of $25,000.
The son of Empire Maker – Sea Level Drive by Malibu Moon showed promise last year at Woodbine when second to Dancin in Da’Nile in his debut and second to Grafton Street (who went on to be second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf). The gelding began 2022 in New Orleans on dirt and went to Keeneland and then Churchill, tumbling off form. When he finally returned to the Canadian climate in June, he zoomed to a maiden win for $25,000 claiming. That is when Armata jumped in.
“I followed him as a 2-year-old,”‘ said Armata. “When he brought him back this year, you know, he got beat [24] lengths in Kentucky right? My wife said ‘what are you doing?’ and I said I had liked the horse since he was a baby.”
In the Toronto Cup, Luckman, with new rider Daisuke Fukumoto, did his usual bit early, dropping far behind the early pace, appearing to even bobble soon after the start.
On the lead was a rank First Empire, making his first start in a year for team Casse. That colt, winner of the Soaring Free Stakes and fourth in the Grade 1 Summer Stakes and jockey Sahin Civaci were pressed by 9-to-5 favourite Churchtown (Air Force Blue) and Declan Carroll. The splits were 24.08 and then a quicker 47.08. A bunch of sophomores chased the top pair while Fukumoto and Luckman slowly snuck up a wide open rail path around the turn.
At the top of the stretch, First Empire continued to battle Churchtown but the latter began to get clear. Meanwhile, Fukumoto had not even asked Luckman as they moved up the rail. In fact, Luckman was so strong that Fukumoto had to move him off the rail in mid-stretch, angle out to the three path while Churchtown led over Day Tripper, Mannix and Lac Macaza.
In deep stretch, Luckman split rivals and got up to win, never once feeling a tap of the whip. The time was 1:35.36. Churchtown was a close second over Day Tripper and Lac Macaza.
Luckman was 8-to-1 for his fourth straight win. The gelding was bred in Kentucky by Tenlane Farm and he was originally a $110,000 April Ocala 2-year-old purchase.
*More Saturday: The parade of longshot/upset winners continued at Woodbine but only after a couple of well-bet runners began the day. Green Fleet was Kevin Attard’s 54th winner of 2022, taking race 1. Kevin won 58 races in all of 2021.
In race 2. owner and trainer Michael Sims won his first-ever race at Woodbine (as a trainer) with the Reload filly INDIAN MUSIC, who took a maiden optional at five furlongs on the turf with Simon Husbands riding.
Trainer Martin Drexler won his 550th career race when BEAT THE SYSTEM beat a heavily favoured EPHRATA in race 4, an allowance race. The winner was making only her second start since Dec. 2021 and continued a trend of fresh horses doing well right now.
The 6th race, a nice field of older mares at 1 1/16 miles, had last year’s Champion 2-year-old filly in the field, MRS. BARBARA, plus stakes winner Il Malocchio and unbeaten Millie Girl.
None of those gals won and instead it was 14-to-1 shot SILENT CAUSEWAY, who had been experiencing dull form until a big class drop to $25,000 last time got her back in winning form. Seemingly overmatched by this field, Silent Causeway and jockey Patrick Husbands rode the rail, which offered some nice footing, in mid-pack before launching a rally off the turn. Husbands deftly angled the mare off the rail, split horses and edged another longshot, Saratoga Vision, to win for owner and trainer Laura Krasauskaite.
KEEN FLATTER was a logical winner of race 8, a maiden allowance for 2-year-olds. The Ivan Dalos homebred, making his fourth career start, became the second winner for his young sire Ami’s Flatter, a top horse for Dalos. Ami’s Flatter stands in Florida and his first winner came just yesterday when Rockin Roller won at Gulfstream.
AL HEYBAY, with just four races this season, came to life with a win in his latest for $25,000 claiming and coupled up again for JMR Racing and Steven Chircop. The Shanghai Bobby colt rode the nice rail path for most of the race before Emma-Jayne Wilson tipped him out to run down Handcarved.
A 2-year-old maiden allowance on turf completed the day and while first time starter COOL KISS was last late on the turn and under a ride by Sahin Civaci, the Kantharos – Hot Kiss gelding suddenly caught up in the stretch as the hot pace doomed leader Kaukokaipuu, the 2-to-1 favourite. Cool Kiss, at 4-to-1, went on to win for Phoenix Racing and trainer Mike DePaulo.
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