Therapist Up In Time to Take Artie Schiller Stakes
Image:
Description:
Photo: Coglianese Photos/Susie Raisher
Therapist wins the Artie Schiller Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
Oak Bluff Stables' Therapist sat well off the pace and displayed a devastating turn of foot down the lane to secure a neck win in the $100,000 Artie Schiller Stakes, his eighth stakes victory, going one mile on the good inner turf at Aqueduct Racetrack Nov. 14.
Never worse than fourth in his past dozen starts, the New York-bred 5-year-old son of Freud notched his sixth stakes win against open company.
In the money in all five of his starts this season, Therapist arrived at the Artie Schiller off a runner-up effort to graded stakes winner Somelikeithotbrown in the Mohawk Stakes Oct. 24 at Belmont Park.
Breaking from post 8 under Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, Therapist was angled to the two path at the back of the pack as Rinaldi led the field into the first turn through an opening quarter-mile in :24.43 and the half in :48.50, with grade 1 winner Valid Point tracking in second.
Castellano nudged his charge around the far turn racing five lengths behind Rinaldi, who maintained his advantage as the field hit the top of the stretch. Castellano angled Therapist four wide and found a seam between runners and began making up significant ground. Rinaldi was then confronted by Chad Brown trainees Valid Point and Delaware in the final sixteenth, but Therapist's turn of foot was too good for them as he was first on the wire, stopping the clock in 1:37.16. Valid Point finished second, a head in front of Delaware. Rinaldi held for fourth.
Returning $8.30 as the lukewarm favorite, Therapist upped his earnings to $653,345 through a record of 9-2-5 from 21 starts.
Trainer Christophe Clement, who bred Therapist out of the Smart Strike mare Lady Renaissance in partnership with the owner, expressed a strong sense of pride in conditioning the state-bred.
"He's the perfect advertisement for the New York-bred program; he's very consistent and can win at a high level against open company," Clement said. "I think he's a very honest horse. He's a lovely horse, and I'm lucky to train him. I'm the co-breeder, alongside the owner, Mr. Richard Leahy (of Oak Bluff)."
Castellano climbed aboard Therapist for the first time Saturday but said he had been observing the horse from afar.
"I've been watching this horse and following his races," Castellano said. "He's the type of horse that likes to come from behind and can't be too close to the pace or he'll hang. Today, it worked out perfect. I had an outside post and saved all the ground, and he finished really strong. I like the way he finished today."
Patience was key for Castellano, who said the strategy was to save ground and roll home late.
"This time, I took my time," Castellano said. "A few horses had the speed, so I had to do the best I could to save ground on the first turn. Even out of the last turn, I was feeling really good and was watching (and waiting) for the hole. It paid off."
Clement did not rule out one more 2020 start for Therapist.
"Therapist has been very good to us over the years. He might go for one more race this year or he could wait until next year," Clement said. "I haven't decided yet, but we'll see how he comes out of the race."