Acclamation extends win streak to six with third straight Whittingham

Acclamation extends win streak to six with third straight

Whittingham

Acclamation, last year's champion older male, looked as classy as ever when

returning from an eight-month layoff Saturday at Hollywood Park, posting a

comfortable one-length decision in the Grade 1, $250,000

Charles Whittingham. The six-year-old horse has now captured the last three

editions of 1 1/4-mile turf test and he stretched his current win streak to six,

leading wire to wire under Pat Valenzuela.

Owned by Peter and Mary Hilvers & Bud and Judy Johnston, the Don

Warren-trained Acclamation was making his first start since taking the Grade 2

Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship on October 2. He also recorded Grade 1

victories in the Pacific Classic and Eddie Read last year as well as his second

consecutive tally in the Grade 2 Jim Murray.

With the $150,000 payday, the bay boosted his lifetime earnings to $1,778,048

from a 29-10-2-6 career line. The eight-time stakes winner has placed in a total

of five black-type

events.

Acclamation was sidelined last fall with a soft tissue injury, forcing him to

miss the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs. He was scheduled to make his 2012

debut in the Grade 3 Inglewood Handicap April 27, but was scratched from the

field after coming up "a little off" in his left foreleg following a morning

workout.

"It was kind of a bumpy road getting here, but we made it," Warren said.

"He's been training like he was ready. The setback he had didn't worry me that

he would be short because I had another month to work with him. I just worked

him a mile a couple more times. Of course when that happens once, you're hoping

it doesn't happen again. So let's hope it's doesn't happen again.

"We never found out what was wrong. You can guess maybe it's this or maybe

it's that, but it's nothing you can put your finger on. The ultimate goal is the

Breeders' Cup Turf (November 3 at Santa Anita). We'll look at the races we ran

in last year. Who knows, we may even want to look at the (Grade 1) Hollywood

Gold Cup (on Cushion Track July 7). I'd like to keep him on the turf, though."

Acclamation captured the 2011 Eclipse Award by a 25-vote margin over Game on

Dude, with Tizway another 18 votes in third.

The turf star flashed to the front as expected when the gates opened Saturday, securing a

1 1/4-length length advantage after an opening quarter-mile in :24 4/5.

Acclamation continued to lead the way on a short lead through splits of :49 3/5, 1:14 4/5

and 1:38 1/5, and was asked for run by Valenzuela after straightening into the

stretch.

Grade 2 San Marcos winner Slim Shadey, who was exiting a respectable

runner-up in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs,

stalked the pacesetter in third during the early stages before advancing into a

threatening position off the far turn, but could not make up enough ground late

to challenge the winner, easily finishing second-best as the 6-5 second choice.

"I had plenty of horse the whole time," said Valenzuela, who was riding for

the first time Saturday since May 19 due to weight issues. "He relaxed on the

lead and when they came to me on the last turn, I just asked him a little and he

picked it up nice. Going that far, they were going to go :48 and change, :49

pace anyway. I'm glad (jockey) Eswan (Flores on Barney Rebel) didn't use his

horse to try and make it a speed duel. But my horse would have put him away and

kept running anyway.

"(Warren) has done a tremendous job bring him back to where he was at today.

I feel that he's going to improve off this race. Coming back off an eight-month

layoff with a setback and a month in between, he did a great job. This is just a

tremendous horse. I feel like Acclamation does, really good."

Acclamation left the starting gate as the even-money favorite among five rivals and stopped

the teletimer in 2:01 2/5 on the firm turf.

"My horse ran his race," jockey David Flores said of runner-up Slim Shadey.

"Acclamation just loves this track and he's in good condition. We just got beat

by a better horse. I can't feel bad about it at all. There was just no pace and

that killed us."

It was a 4 1/4-length margin from Slim Shadey back to Utopian in third, and

Juniper Pass and Barney Rebel followed under the wire. Makes Music for Me was

scratched.

Acclamation, a son of Unusual Heat, was bred in California by Johnston's Old

English Racho. He is out of the unraced Silveyville mare Winning in Style, a

half-sister to Grade 3 hero Stylish Winner and Grade 2-placed stakes winner

Stylish Stud. Grade 1 star and $2.3-million earner Marlin can be found further

back in this female family.

PATRICK VALENZUELA,ACCLAMATION, Winner: “

I've been working out a lot and doing my cardiovascular work.

."

DAVID FLORES, SLIM SHADEY, Second: “

."

JOE TALAMO, UTOPIAN, Third: “They gave that other horse (Acclamation) the race.

He had the race to himself the whole time."

Trainer Quotes

DON WARREN, ACCLAMATION, Winner “

SIMON CALLAGHAN, SLIM SHADEY, Second: “He ran a really good race, but when a

good horse like (Acclamation) gets to the front with those fractions, he's going

to be very tough to beat."