Special Reserve, Endorsed Rise Again in Phoenix

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/05/2021 - 15:05
Link: 
Special Reserve, Endorsed Rise Again in Phoenix
Image: 
Description: 

Photo: Skip Dickstein
Special Reserve (outside) runs second to Lexitonian in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga Race Course

Mike Maker is one of North America's most successful claiming trainers, known for acquiring horses out of the upper-level claiming ranks and developing them into graded stakes winners, often in long-distance races on turf.

On opening day of the Keeneland fall meet Oct. 8, he's up to his same claimer-to-stakes development angle again, but with a twist. Rather than running a turf horse in a prestigious race, he has a pair of former claimers in Endorsed  and Special Reserve  vying in a dirt sprint in the $250,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2).

Already a graded stakes winner and grade 1-placed for owners Paradise Farms and David Staudacher, Special Reserve is the likely favorite in the six-furlong Phoenix, a "Win and You're In" Challenge Race for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) Nov. 6 at Del Mar. Endorsed  is a mid-priced threat among seven entrants.

Special Reserve has three wins from five starts since haltered from a $40,000 optional claiming race at Oaklawn Park in February. Two of those wins came in stakes—the Maryland Sprint Match Series Stakes (G3) this spring at Pimlico Race Course and a summer stakes score in the Iowa Sprint Stakes at Prairie Meadows.

He also ran second to eventual grade 1 winner Flagstaff  in the seven-furlong Commonwealth Stakes (G3) at Keeneland this spring. Then, this summer, he was a last-out second to Lexitonian  in the July 31 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.

Sign up for

Joel Rosario rides the speedy Midshipman   5-year-old gelding.


Video

Endorsed, claimed for $100,000 at Saratoga Aug. 6 by owner Mark Breen, picked up a stakes placing for his new owner with a rallying second in the Sept. 18 Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes at Churchill Downs. Sixth early, the 5-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro   made up ground under Julien Leparoux to finish three-quarters of a length behind the six-time stakes winner Just Might , who also returns in the Phoenix.

Endorsed was runner-up in several stakes for prior owner Godolphin, including in the 2020 Westchester Stakes (G3). He also was fourth in the 2019 Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1).

Aloha West - Alw - CD - 052221
Photo: Coady Photography
Aloha West wins an allowance race at Churchill Downs

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Aloha West  has limited stakes experience, though his talent is not in question. The Hard Spun   4-year-old is 4-for-7, a record that includes two allowance optional claiming scores at Saratoga this summer in fast time.

He was scratched from last week's Ack Ack Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs to await the Phoenix. He worked a bullet three furlongs in :35 3/5 Oct. 4 at Keeneland.

"We were going to run him a mile. So I had to sharpen him up, put a little speed in him," trainer Wayne Catalano said.

His only prior stakes start in June resulted in a fourth-place finish in the Kelly's Landing Stakes at Churchill Downs, a race in which he was away poorly and "didn't get the best trip in the world," according to Catalano.

"He's like a come-from-behind sprinter, but he has been laying a little closer lately," Catalano added. "He's starting to get the hang of it all. He's been laying up closer and still finishing up real strong. We're really happy with his performance."

Jose Ortiz rides, replacing Rosario, who was up for the colt's two wins at Saratoga.

Friday's race also includes stakes winners Quick Tempo  and Mucho . Also entered is Norman and Lola Cash's Sir Alfred James , who last month was claimed for $62,500 from an allowance optional claiming victory at Churchill Downs in which he ran six furlongs in 1:08. 


Entries: Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. (G2)

Keeneland, Friday, October 08, 2021, Race 8

  • Grade II
  • 6f
  • Dirt
  • $250,000
  • 3 yo's & up
  • 5:10 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Quick Tempo (KY) Sophie Doyle 118 Christopher Davis 20/1
2 2Mucho (KY) Reylu Gutierrez 120 John Alexander Ortiz 6/1
3 3Endorsed (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 120 Michael J. Maker 6/1
4 4Just Might (KY) Colby J. Hernandez 120 Michelle Lovell 9/2
5 5Aloha West (MD)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jose L. Ortiz 120 Wayne M. Catalano 3/1
6 6Special Reserve (KY) Joel Rosario 120 Michael J. Maker 9/5
7 7Sir Alfred James (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Corey J. Lanerie 120 Norman L. Cash 9/2