No line of Demarcation with Karelian in River City dead-heat

No line of Demarcation with Karelian in River City

dead-heat

Green Lantern Stables' homebred KARELIAN (Bertrando) and Amerman Racing

Stables' DEMARCATION (Gulch) hit the wire in unison in Saturday's $114,400

River City H. (G3),

producing the first dead-heat in the 32 runnings of the Churchill Downs turf

event. By completing 1 1/8 miles in 1:50 on the firm turf, each recorded his

first career graded victory.

Karelian was well positioned in a tracking fourth by Bill Troilo, who picked

up the mount from an ill Calvin Borel, while Jesus Castanon settled Demarcation

farther off the pace in seventh. Up front, Steve's Double (Stephen Got Even) and

Canela (El Corredor) dueled through an opening quarter in :23 3/5. Thorn Song (Unbridled's

Song), the defending champion and 5-2 favorite, advanced on the outside to

challenge Steve's Double through a half in :47 2/5.

Thorn Song wrested control while getting six furlongs in 1:12, and Karelian

followed in hot pursuit. At the top of the stretch, Thorn Song gave way quickly,

but Karelian poured it on and opened up by two lengths. Demarcation unleashed

his threatening rally down the center of the course, and for a moment, it

appeared that the 33-1 longshot would collar the leader in the final yards.

Karelian fought back bravely along the inside, however, and thrust his nose down

on the line simultaneously with Demarcation to share the victory. It was the

first dead-heat win in a Churchill stakes since the 2002 Louisville H. (G3) with

Pisces and Classic Par.

"When I got after him (Karelian), he was getting a little lazy on me," Troilo

said. "Because when (Demarcation) caught us right at the wire, he opened again.

I think if that horse would have come to me sooner, I think he would have drawn

back away from him. It was just unfortunate that he caught me right at the wire.

"I'm thrilled to death," added Troilo, who was earning his first graded

stakes victory as well as his initial stakes win at Churchill Downs. "I galloped

out thinking I got beat. This is a gift."

"I really thought I got him on the wire," Castanon said of his view aboard

Demarcation. "But as soon as we got close to the wire, my horse was kind of like

coming back and his horse was dropping his head, so that's what happened."

Sent off as the 5-1 third choice, Karelian returned $6.80, $6.80 and $4.80.

Demarcation rewarded his loyalists with payouts of $30.40, $25.40 and $14.20.

The nearly 21-1 Telling (A.P. Indy) closed late to grab third, 1 1/2 lengths

back, and furnished $10.60 to show. Star Plus (Arg) (Alpha Plus) crossed the

wire in fourth at 8-1. The exotics with Karelian on top were worth $147.20

(exacta), $1,719.60 (trifecta) and $22,447.40 (5-8-7-3 superfecta). Demarcation

spearheaded the $221.20 exacta, $3,162.20 trifecta and the $38,719.40 superfecta.

Rounding out the order of finish were Just as Well (A.P. Indy), Steve's

Double, Pleasant Strike (Smart Strike), Thorn Song, Yate's Black Cat (Black

Minnaloushe), 7-2 second choice Mr. Sidney (Storm Cat) and Canela.

The Rusty Arnold-trained Karelian improved his record to 16-8-2-1, $347,548.

Runner-up when making his stakes debut in the 2007 Kitten's Joy S., the lightly

raced six-year-old returned from an 11-month layoff to capture the Sea O Erin H.

in his belated 2008 bow. In his only subsequent outing, the Kentucky-bred

gelding finished fifth to Thorn Song in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) at Keeneland.

Karelian was produced by the Theatrical (Ire) mare Leaning Tower, whose three

stakes-winning half-siblings include Canadian champion Basqueian (Bounding

Basque)  Leaning Tower's youngest offspring are a yearling colt named Mint

Chip and a weanling filly, both by Johar.

The Paul McGee-trained Demarcation has now bankrolled $266,833 from his

19-6-3-5 line. The bay gelding was a useful sprinter as a sophomore last season,

placing second in the Matt Winn S. at Churchill, but has found his calling since

switching to the grass. A close third to Karelian in the Sea O Erin, Demarcation

broke through with his first stakes tally in the Franklin-Simpson S. at Kentucky

Downs two back. His resume also includes a pair of thirds in the Tin Man S. and

Honor Grades S.

Bred by Canard Investments in Kentucky, Demarcation was purchased by his

current connections for $100,000 at the 2005 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is

the first foal from the stakes-placed Divine Line (Boundary), herself a

half-sister to four stakes scorers, led by Allaire duPont Distaff S. (G2)

heroine Buy the Barrel (E Dubai). Demarcation has a weanling half-sister by

Malibu Moon.