Digital Age Kicks Late to Take Turf Classic
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Photo: Skip Dickstein
Digital Age (outside) wins the Turf Classic at Churchill Downs
Gaining Ground Racing's Factor This did his best to try wiring the field in the $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (G1T) Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs, but Digital Age took him on at the top the stretch and rallied to win by three-quarters of a length.
The 4-year-old son of Invincible Spirit at 8-1 was the highest-priced runner of trainer Chad Brown's three entries in the 1 1/8-mile stakes. Finishing third was Brown's 9-2 entry Rockemperor and the trainer's third runner at 9-5 was Sacred Life who finished fourth. Digital Age won on the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) undercard last year when he captured the American Turf Stakes Presented by Ram Trucks (G2T).
Digital Age paid $19.20, $9, and $6.20. Factor This paid $6.20 and $4.20, and Rockemperor paid $4.60.
The Turf Classic winner has strong connections. He is owned by Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables, which teamed up with co-owner William Lawrence and Brown last year on 2019 Horse of the Year and champion turf male Bricks and Mortar.
Klarman bought Digital Age out of Book 1 of the 2017 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for 325,000 guineas (US$451,781). He broke his maiden at first asking at 3 last year, followed with a win in the Columbia Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, and next won the American Turf. Digital Age would finish second in last year's Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes but not win again until July of this year when he won an allowance optional claiming race at Saratoga Race Course.
Digital Age faced stiff competition in the Turf Classic, which included multiple graded stakes winner Factor This, who was riding a four-race winning streak that included the Feb. 15 Fair Ground Stakes (G3T) and March 21 Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes (G2T) Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, the June 20 Wise Dan Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs, and most recently the Aug. 2 Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup Stakes at Ellis Park.
Sacred Life, already a group 3 winner in France, came into the Turf Classic off a four-length win in the Aug. 9 Oceanport Stakes at Monmouth Park, and Rockemperor's most recent starts include a second by nose in the Charles Whittingham Stakes (G2T) May 23 at Santa Anita Park, in which he was disqualified to third for interference, and second by a neck in the July 4 Manhattan Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park, which were both run at 1 1/4 miles.
"This is such a crazy, strange business our sport. It's a rollercoaster," said Javier Castellano, who rode Digital Age. "I rode for Seth Klarman two really good horses today and, of course, we thought they both had a chance to win. But I predicted for myself, 'I can't lose with Newspaperofrecord (in the Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile, G2T) and we just got beat. And this horse is like 8-1 and ended up winning the big race. That's what makes this game fun, you never know what is going to happen with the horses.
"I had a beautiful, beautiful trip. I saved all the ground and cut the corner turning for home and it paid off," Castellano continued. "My horse he liked the ground, he handled it so well. I'm very satisfied with the way he did it. I felt that they went pretty quick (up front) and I took my time. I didn't want to rush it and be close to the pace. I wanted to ride with a lot of patience and finally it paid off."
Digital Age enters the winner’s circle after earning his first grade 1 win in the Turf Classic
Whit Beckman, assistant to Chad Brown, said several factors worked in Digital Age's favor.
"Turning for home he had a good position, got a nice trip, and this horse likes this turf course," Beckman said. "He shipped down from New York but just watching him train here the last few days, he looked super relaxed. He looked like he was doing better than I had ever seen him do."
Factor This lived up to the expectations for him to set the pace and guided the field through opening fractions of :23.24, :47.17, and 1:11.16 while being tracked throughout by grade 2 winner True Valour and multiple stakes winner Spectacular Gem. As the horses rounded the second turn, Digital Age began eating away at the gap between him and Factor This and rolled smoothly past to win his first grade 1. The final time over firm turf was 1:47.79.
"He tried hard. That's all you can ask," said jockey Shaun Bridgmohan about Factor This. "He ran his race. You can't ask him to (do more) than what he did. He put his heart out there. Unfortunately, we didn't get the win today. He's a trier."
Digital Age's owner and trainer were not at Churchill Downs.
The Turf Classic winner is the first foal out of the unraced Lemon Drop Kid mare Willow View, a half sister to group 1 winner Cursory Glance (Distorted Humor), who was bred and raced by Merry Fox Stud. The mare has produced two full sisters to Digital Age, a winning 3-year-old named Charming Spirit and a 2-year-old who has not yet started, and has a yearling filly by Siyouni.