Stark Contrast a clear winner of American Turf

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Stark Contrast was the leading U.S.-based two-year-old male on turf last season, and at age three hasn't relinquished his spot at the head of his class. He showed that Saturday at Churchill Downs, when he proved a decisive winner of the $1 million American Turf (G1) as a 6-5 favorite. 

Under Flavien Prat, Stark Contrast advanced from midpack with a wide rally around the far turn, took aim at long-time leader Honey Dutch at the head of the stretch, and powered home a 2 1/4-length winner.

"My only instructions were to get him in a good spot. I did that. He's a good horse; he's a very good horse," Prat said.

A homebred owned by Amerman Racing and trained by Michael McCarthy, Stark Contrast paid $4.40 after covering 1 1/16 miles on firm ground in 1:40.31.

Second choice Remember Mamba, saddled with a wide draw, belatedly rallied for second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Honey Dutch.  Alpyland, Blinging It Back, Let's Be Frank, Black Hornet, Vasy, Steel Imperium, Greenwich Village, Street Beast, Thousandsticks, and Final Score completed the order of finish.

Stark Contrast was a 58-1 outsider when he finished three-quarters of a length short of Gstaad in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Del Mar last fall. But he preceded it with back-to-back wins, including the Zuma Beach (G3) at Santa Anita.

Resuming winning ways in the Jan. 8 Eddie Logan S. at Santa Anita, Stark Contrast detoured to Turfway's synthetic surface for the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3). Although a respectable second to Fulleffort, connections prudently shifted their focus away from the Kentucky Derby (G1), for which he qualified, and put the son of Caravaggio back on the grass.

"I can't tell you how highly I thought about this horse," McCarthy said. "He got a little sick on us over the winter. We were able to reroute and go to the Jeff Ruby Steaks."

It's hard not to think highly of Stark Contrast after his performance in the American Turf.

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