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Chelokee wins Barbaro for Matz
"To have a race named after (Barbaro), he's remembered in such a wonderful way," Gretchen Jackson said. "That Michael Matz trained the winning horse, the first horse to win the Barbaro Stakes, is wonderful. We've got such a wonderful relationship with him that I felt it just underlines it all: You deserve it; you're it." With Dominguez in the irons, the three-year-old colt broke cleanly and allowed Stonehouse (Chester House) to take the early lead through fractions of :23 3/5 and :46 4/5 while racing in second for the opening half-mile. Making his move after six furlongs in 1:10 4/5, Chelokee drew away and finished out the 1 1/16-mile affair in 1:43 2/5 over the fast track, rewarding his backers with payouts of $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10 while spearheading the $7.40 exacta, $19 trifecta and $26 superfecta (6-3-7-2) "He got a perfect trip," Dominguez said. "He lost focus a bit on the turn, so I had to get after him a little bit to get his attention. But he ran a really nice race today." Silver Express (Unbridled's Song) offered a three-wide bid on the far turn to reach contention and held second, giving back $3.40 and $2.40 at 9-2, and the 11-1 Zephyr Cat (Tactical Cat) checked in another 3 3/4 lengths back in third and yielded $2.40. Stonehouse and Dancin Buddha (Buddha) rounded out the order of finish. Soaring By (Deputy Minister) and Vow to Greatness (Broken Vow) scratched. Chelokee now sports a mark of 7-3-1-2 with a bankroll to the tune of $221,900. Finishing out of the money only once, Chelokee showed signs of brilliance early in his career, breaking his maiden as a two-year-old by 13 1/4 lengths. In first stakes start, the Florida Derby (G1), the dark bay was offering a bid in upper stretch before being steadied and forced to alter course, but he re-rallied to finish a troubled third. He entered the Barbaro off a seven-week freshening. Bred in the Bluegrass State by Gulf Coast Farms Bloodstock, Chelokee was bought by his current connections for $290,000 at the 2005 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He's out of the Grade 2-placed mare Dixie Ghost (Silver Ghost), dam of the stakes winning and Grade 2-placed Mymich (A.P. Indy). Chelokee counts himself as half-brother to the unraced two-year-old colt Salute the Sarge (Forest Wildcat). Chelokee could potentially start in the third leg of the Triple Crown, the June 9 Belmont S. (G1), but Matz isn't committing him yet to the 1 1/2-mile marathon. "It's still a little early to tell," Matz said. "We'll see how he comes out of this race. Those other (three-year-olds) are looking like they're doing real good, so at this point, we'll just wait and see where we are."
Heros Reward broke his maiden as a four-year-old last year before becoming a career claimer on the dirt. The gelding found his calling when trying a turf sprint for the first time at Laurel in October and hasn't finished worse than second since. Bred in Maryland by Gretchen Mobberley, Heros Reward is out of the winning Caveat mare Lifes Passage. He has an unraced two-year-old half-brother named Skidoodle.
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