Church Service nails Storm Military in Dallas Turf Cup

Robert Tjosvold's CHURCH SERVICE (Pulpit) got up in the final stride to win

Monday's $200,000

Dallas

Turf Cup H. (G3) by a nose. Claimed for $50,000 three starts earlier, the

Mike Mitchell-trained gelding notched his first stakes victory with a

last-to-first rally, nipping 6-5 favorite Storm Military (Arg) (Bernstein) on

the wire. The five-year-old completed 1 1/8 miles over the firm turf in 1:50

2/5.

Runner-up in the Tokyo City H. (G3) and San Luis Obispo H. (G2) in his two

previous outings, Church Service rated at the back of the pack as Swains News

(Swain [Ire]) set the pace in :25 1/5, :50 4/5 and 1:15. Storm Military stalked in

third before launching his bid three wide on the far turn and entered the

stretch in complete command, passing the mile mark in 1:38 2/5, but he could not

withstand the strong finish of the winner in the final furlong.

Church Service returned $7.60, $3.40 and $3.20 as the near 3-1 second choice,

and Storm Military paid $2.80 and $2.40 while capping the $19.20 exacta. It was

1 1/4 lengths back to the late-running Red Rock Creek (Numerous), who yielded

$6.20 at 23-1. The trifecta totaled $164.20, and the 5-8-1-2 superfecta, with

Going Ballistic (Lite the Fuse) in fourth at 5-1, was good for $656.80. Swains

News, Eighteenthofmarch (Wild Event), Jazz Quest (Jambalaya Jazz) and Scrappy

Roo (Roo Art) rounded out the order of finish. Beta Capo (Langfuhr) was

scratched.

Church Service's record now stands at 21-4-4-1 with earnings of $310,060.

Bred in Kentucky by Joe Allen, Church Service is out of 1998 Tropical Park

Oaks winner To Be Approved (With Approval), whose first foal, Mamita

(Unbridled), is the dam of recent Cinderella S. victress Trifecta King (Peace

Rules). Church Service, who sold for $32,000 at the 2004 Keeneland September

sale, has a yearling half-sister by Tale of the Cat and a 2008 half-brother by

War Front.