Caracortado remains perfect in Lewis

Turning for home, Tiz Chrome and American Lion continued their duel, but

Caracortado was traveling best of all. The 9-2 fourth choice in the five-horse

field overhauled the longtime leaders and drew away, ultimately stopping the

teletimer in 1:41 3/5 on the Pro-Ride. Caracortado rewarded his loyalists with

payouts of $11, $4.60 and $2.60.

"This horse is very mature -- he acts like an older horse," Atkinson said.

"You can do anything with him. You can put him on the lead or he'll relax off

the pace like he did today. Going down the backside, I was sitting behind the

front runners and I really wanted to wait a little longer with him today, but

those two horses (Tiz Chrome and American Lion) that were on the lead are good

horses and I didn't want to let them get away from me. Leaving the quarter-pole,

I asked my horse to go and he went. He finished up like a really nice horse."

"He had an advantage in recency (of races) and already going two turns

successfully," Machowsky graciously noted. "Some of the others were coming off a

longer layoff than he was.

"You know, he trains like that (as if he were a heavy favorite)," the trainer

said. "Every time I ask him, he does what I want. I read what everybody writes

about him, that he's kind of off-bred, not a blueblood, but he's honest. You

can't knock that."

Machowsky was asked if the gelding were "flying under the radar" prior to

this race because of his low-profile rider.

"I think that's part of it, but if he's under the radar now, he shouldn't

be," Machowsky said. "Paul rode him flawless. He's given this horse flawless

rides every time. It shows that jocks need stock under them, and trainers need

stock.

Caracortado captured a state-bred allowance next time out at Hollywood on

December 6, defeating the filly Evening Jewel (Northern Afleet), who came within

a nose of shocking Blind Luck (Pollard's Vision) in Saturday's Las Virgenes S.

(G1). Caracortado made his stakes, and two-turn, debut a winning one in the

aforementioned California Breeders' Champion.

Out of the unraced Maria's Mon mare Mons Venus, Caracortado has an unnamed

yearling half-sister by Southern Image. 

"We'll look at the San Felipe ([G2] on March 13) next and see if Lookin at

Lucky (Smart Strike) comes at us," Machowsky said. "I think my horse will love

the dirt, but I'm not anxious to ship him right now."