One year ago, SCORCHING was on the Canadian Triple Crown trail for owners Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch. It wasn’t a perfect journey since the colt had been flirting with death only months before, and trainer John Charalambous admitted that getting the colt to the King’s Plate and finishing fourth was a feat in itself.
In fact, after a fourth-place finish in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie, Scorching went to the sidelines for the second, extended time in his short career.
When he embarked on another comeback this spring, Charalambous didn’t know what the future held for the Ontario bred son of Mo Town.
But on August 30 at Woodbine, Scorching flew down the stretch as if he had wings, running the best race of his career to win the $201,500 Elgin Stakes for yearling sale graduates by 5 3/4 lengths in the sizzling (scorching?) time of 1:21.05.
Charalambous, a 45-year veteran of the training ranks, was quietly emotional after the win.
“This is a big day and I am so glad the owners flew up here for the race,” said Charalambous, who was also joined in the winner’s circle by family members. “Paul Braverman, Timothy Pinch and (racing manager) Reade Baker, they have been so good to me.”
The Elgin Stakes was one of five stakes events on the Sunday, Woodbine card leading into the Sept. 2 CTHS Ontario Canadian Premier Yearling sale.
Scorching, purchased from the 2023 CTHS sale by Baker for $120,000 for the owners from breeder Huntington Stud Farm and Dan Mooney, showed promise immediately. In just his second start he won the Simcoe Stakes, worth $201,000 by five lengths. IN his next start he was second by a nose in the $251,000 Cupp & Saucer Stakes on turf but was placed first through disqualification.
The sky was the limit for the handsome dark bay colt and Charalambous and team sent Scorching to New York to prepare for the following spring’s Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct racetrack.
Everything became unraveled the day before the Gotham, however, when Scorching was found to be ill. The colt was found to have a dangerous blood infection,
Scorching had a blood infection, a dangerous condition where bacteria or other pathogens circulate in the bloodstream, which causes a systemic inflammatory response and potentially leads to organ damage or failure. The colt was sent to a Maryland clinic where he was treated and essentially stall-bound. for almost two months. The colt then had more than a week at the Fair Hill Hyperbaric Therapy clinic in Maryland before he was ready to return to Woodbine.
Scorching’s 3-year-old campaign was brief but brave. He finished second to eventual Plate winner Mansetti in the Grade 3 Marine Stakes and third in the Plate Trial before the Plate and Prince of Wales outings.
A plane was made to regroup and bring Scorching back this spring and he just about won his return when second by a neck in the Thorncliffe Stakes. Following a subsequent sixth place finish in an allowance race and then a third on grass in July, Scorching was still trying get his first win since 2024.
Rafael Hernandez was hired for the Simcoe ride and the reigning Outstanding Jockey in Canada had handfuls of horsepower throughout the race.
“I’ve been dying to run this horse seven eighths of a mile and this is the first time he’s ever raced seven eighths of a mile,” said Charalambous.
Braverman and Pinch, whose colt Bravaro won last week’s $500,000 Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes at Charles Town, hail from Boston. They have supported Woodbine racing for several years with Baker purchasing horses for them at various sales.
Scorching, now with earnings over over $444,000, is from the mare Samsal by Consolidator.
Dark Screen, by Big Screen, finished second with the Shaman Ghost gelding Paynes Spirit betting third.
Fore more on Scorching:
More News
