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English Channel sails home by record margin in Turf
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English Channel turned in a scintillating performance to stake his championship claim
(Alex Evers/Horsephotos.com) |
James T. Scatuorchio's ENGLISH CHANNEL (Smart
Strike) had ranked among the elite of American turf horses for the past
three seasons, with the lone gap on his resume a victory in the
Breeders' Cup Turf
(G1). At Monmouth Park on Saturday, the Todd Pletcher trainee lined up for the
third and final time in the $2,748,000, 1 1/2-mile prize, and this time, he made the most of
the opportunity.
Always traveling beautifully beneath John Velazquez, the
five-year-old chestnut cruised to the front turning for home and proceeded to
steamroll a field that included European star and 4-5 favorite Dylan Thomas
(Ire) (Danehill). English Channel crossed the wire in splendid isolation as
seven lengths the best, the longest winning margin in the history of the
Breeders' Cup Turf, and probably wrapped up an Eclipse Award as champion turf
horse.
"He delivered big-time today," Pletcher said.
"That was a big performance. He dominated some really good horses."
In the early stages, Fri Guy (Theatrical [Ire])
assumed his customary pacesetting role, carving out pedestrian fractions of :26,
:53 1/5, 1:19 4/5 and 1:46 for the opening mile on the soft turf.
Shamdinan (Fr) (Dr Fong) kept close watch in second, with English Channel in
third along the inside. Swinging into the backstretch, Velazquez saw an opening
between Fri Guy and Shamdinan, and he deftly steered English Channel between
them to take up a closer stalking position on the outside.
The eventual winner was oozing confidence entering the far turn, and as soon
as he was given the cue, he stormed clear. With his seven rivals never landing a
blow, English Channel widened his margin through the entire length of the
stretch before stopping the teletimer in 2:36 4/5. His seven-length advantage
shattered the old Turf record set by Daylami (Ire),
who won by 2 1/2 lengths in 1999.
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"We got the perfect trip," Velazquez said. "Our
plan was to save ground and wait as long as possible before we made our move.
Everything was perfect. Last year (when third in the Breeders' Cup Turf), we had
an outside post and he never relaxed. This year, he's older and he has learned
to relax. That was the key today."
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English Channel first, the rest nowhere
(Alex Evers/Horsephotos.com) |
Shamdinan held off defending Turf champion Red Rocks (Ire) (Galileo [Ire])
for runner-up honors by three-quarters of a length. Better Talk Now (Talkin Man)
reported home a similar margin back in fourth. Dylan Thomas was already under
the whip on the final turn and made no impact in fifth, trailed by Grand
Couturier (GB) (Grand Lodge), Fri Guy and Transduction Gold (Formal Gold).
Jockey Johnny Murtagh, who rode Dylan Thomas, was ruing the course
conditions.
"It was not turf racing -- look," Murtagh said, pointing to his
mud-covered silks. "He was spinning his wheels out there. He even hated
the warm-up, and this is a horse who loves his racing and everything
about it. We had no chance."
Sent off as the 3-1 second choice, English Channel paid $8, $4.40 and $3
while leading exotics worth $152 (exacta), $282.70 ($1 trifecta) and $1,234.60
(6-4-2-3, $1 superfecta). The 25-1 Shamdinan gave back $17.60 and $9.40, and Red
Rocks returned $4.60 at 5-1.
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With this final career start in the books, English Channel has
compiled a mark of 23-13-4-1 and $5,319,028 in earnings. He now boasts 10 career
stakes scores, six of them at the Grade 1 level. A two-time winner of both the
United Nations S. (G1) and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational S. (G1), the
chestnut has also captured the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1) and Canadian
Turf H. in 2006 and the Virginia Derby (G3), Colonial Turf Cup S. and Woodlawn
S. in 2005. He has placed in five other Grade 1 contests, including the 2005 Joe
Hirsch, last year's Breeders' Cup Turf as well as this season's Manhattan H.
(G1) and Sword Dancer Invitational S. (G1). In his first try in the Turf as
a sophomore in 2005, he finished fifth.
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English Channel never tasted defeat in three starts at Monmouth
(Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com) |
Bred by Keene Ridge Farm in Kentucky, the winner was sold to his present
owner for $50,000 at the 2003 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The
five-year-old is the first registered foal from the unraced Belva (Theatrical
[Ire]), making him a full brother to Lane's End S. (G2) runner-up Sedgefield,
who was a commendable fifth in the Kentucky Derby (G1). He has three
half-sisters -- an unraced juvenile named Lura (Street Cry [Ire]), an unnamed
yearling by Aldebaran and a 2007 foal by Ghostzapper. Belva is herself a full
sister to Grade 1 winner Pharma and multiple Grade 2 winner Hap, all of them out
of Committed (Hagley), a European champion and multiple Group 1-winning sprinter
in 1984-85.Scatuorchio paid tribute to his star, who will now begin a new career at
stud.
"He is a very, very popular horse, and I'm going to miss racing him, and he's
been tremendous for our family," Scatuorchio said. "He's worked hard enough, and
someone was nice enough to make a deal with me very shortly, the last week or
so, so I'm thrilled for him. I'm not going to divulge it right now. They said
no, we'd prefer to have a big advertisement on Tuesday, so they are excited,
too."
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