Cave Hill Lands Rushaway, Visitant Takes KY Cup Classic
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Photo: Coady Photography
Cave Hill rallies past Extrasexybigdaddee in Turfway Park's Rushaway
Cave Hill, a cut below the better turf 3-year-olds in South Florida this winter after two stakes starts, found the $100,000 Rushaway Stakes on Turfway Park's synthetic Tapeta surface more suitable March 27.
Godolphin's homebred son of leading second-crop sire Frosted rallied from fifth to notch a 1 1/2-length victory over pacesetter Extrasexybigdaddee in the first of six stakes on Turfway's Jeff Ruby Steaks Day card.
Declan Cannon rode the winner for trainer Brendan Walsh, who earlier Saturday won the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored by Azizi Developments (G1) with Extravagant Kid in Dubai. Godolphin was also successful there, taking the main event, the $12 million Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) with the Mike Stidham-trained Mystic Guide.
Stakes were much lower at Turfway in the Rushaway, though the result was the same—a first-place finish.
The victory was the third in six starts for Cave Hill, who last year had won an off-the-turf maiden race in the slop at Indiana Grand and an allowance optional claiming race at Tampa Bay Downs. In two starts this year at 3, he had been third in the Dania Beach Stakes and sixth in the Palm Beach Stakes, both at Gulfstream Park. He the ninth of 10 foals out of the winning Broad Brush mare Painted Lady, who also produced 2010 Allaire Du Pont Stakes (G2) winner Skylighter.
In taking the Rushaway, he raced 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.52 and paid $8.60.
Editor in Chief was third, a half-length behind Extrasexybigdaddee. Favored Be Here, Donegal Bay, Scales of Justice, and Shady McGee completed the seven-horse order of finish.
Video: Rushaway S. (BT)
Visitant Closes to Take Kentucky Cup Classic
A few races later on the card, Visitant rallied from seventh to notch a two-length victory over favored Set Piece in the Twinspires.com $150,000 Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes at Turfway.
Under Deshawn Parker, Visitant got the jump leaving the second turn on the runner-up, who was bottled up in traffic until the stretch. So even after Set Piece got in gear, he proved unable to make up the advantage Visitant had established.
Visitant wins the Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes
The winner, bred and owned by Williamson Racing, completed 1 1/8 miles on the Tapeta in 1:50.12. The Billy Morey trainee paid $18.80.
Saturday's victory was his third in four starts this winter and spring at Turfway. All six of his lifetime victories have come over Tapeta, either at Turfway Park or Golden Gate Fields.
Pacesetting Crafty Daddy held third by a nose over Plus Que Parfait.
Visitant is a son of Ghostzapper , the sire of Dubai World Cup winner Mystic Guide. He is among three winners from six to race out of the stakes-placed Distorted Humor mare Peppermint Lounge. The dam's three unraced foals include a 3-year-old Ghostzapper filly named Zap Dance and an unnamed 2-year-old Street Boss colt.