Bemma's Boy Upsets Zulu Alpha in Pan American
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Derbe Glass
Bemma's Boy (outside) wins the Pan American Stakes at Gulfstream Park
As expected, trainer Mike Maker won the $200,000 Kitten's Joy Pan American Stakes (G2T) March 28 at Gulfstream Park, though not with the runner bettors anticipated.
Rather than 3-5 favorite Zulu Alpha, who Maker saddled to win the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes Presented by Runhappy (G1T) and the Mac Diarmida Stakes (G2T) at Gulfstream earlier this winter, it was his less-heralded stablemate, 9-1 shot Bemma's Boy, that shined for the trainer in the 1 1/2-mile race. Under a determined late rally from Florent Geroux, the Into Mischief gelding ran down the public choice to win the race by a neck in a three-horse photo finish that included 37-1 outsider Current.
The outcome came down to trips. Bemma's Boy ($20.40), who drew well in post 2, enjoyed a ground-saving, pocketed journey over the marathon race's three turns, while his stablemate largely was hung in the three or fourth path and settled for the place. The runner-up raced 80 more feet than the winner, according to Trakus statistics.
In was only in midstretch that Bemma's Boy had to angle out, and with plenty in reserve, he was able to outkick Zulu Alpha, who had been asked to launch a sustained half-mile rally just before the final turn. The winner ran 1 1/2 miles on firm turf in 2:24.91.
Spooky Channel, who set the pace with fractions of :24.09, 48.56, 1:13.64, and 1:38.63, faded to fifth, following Channel Cat, the second favorite, who rallied for fourth after a slow start. Current settled for the show, a head behind Zulu Alpha.
The victory gave Geroux his eighth graded stakes victory in North America this year, tying him with Irad Ortiz Jr. for most among riders. Geroux then picked up another later in the afternoon to become the sole leader by graded victories when he took the Appleton Stakes (G3T) with Social Paranoia.
"My horse ran a great race," he said of Bemma's Boy. "He finished nicely down the lane, and when he looked that horse in the eye, Zulu Alpha, he gave me another gear."
The victory from Bemma's Boy marked yet another Maker-trained former claimer that, under his tutelage, has become a graded stakes winner running long on the grass, though he credited owner Peter Proscia of Paradise Farms for the selection of the now 5-year-old gelding. They claimed him for $30,000 at Churchill Downs last May.
Up until that time, the Into Mischief gelding out of the Arch mare Arcing had raced mostly on dirt, but he has run exclusively on turf for his current connections, advancing up the ranks. After winning a second-level allowance at Keeneland in October, he ran fourth in the River City Handicap (G3T) at Churchill Downs in November and second in the John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes (G3T) in January at Sam Houston Race Park. The Pan American was his first stakes victory.
"He was bred to run on the grass. That's why we claimed him," Maker said. "Obviously the things he has accomplished, you don't expect that. I'm grateful it worked out."
Bemma's Boy, bred in Kentucky by Lochlow Farm, is one of two winners from his unraced dam. He has won five of 18 starts and $291,983, with $244,989 of that coming in seven starts for his current connections.