Phantom Currency Delivers Front-End Appleton Score
Image:
Description:
Photo: Coglianese Photos/Ryan Thompson
Phantom Currency wins the Appleton Stakes at Gulfstream Park
In his first start in more than a year, Susan and Jim Hill's Phantom Currency led at every point of call April 2 to win the 70th running of the one-mile Kitten's Joy Appleton (G3T) by a half-length at Gulfstream Park.
Last year the 6-year-old son of Goldencents was sent to the Hills' Margaux Farm in Midway, Ky., to rehab a soft-tissue injury after back-to-back victories in an allowance-level race and the Mac Diarmida Stakes (G2T) on the Gulfstream turf. He returned to trainer Brian Lynch's care this winter and worked steadily for Saturday's comeback race.
As he had in his other five career victories, Phantom Currency went to the front out of the gate and kept on going. With jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. up, he maintained a clear lead over his closest early pursuer, Carpenters Call . In the stretch he dug in to edge Wolfie's Dynaghost , who rallied up the rail. Carpenters Call was another half-length back in third.
Phantom Currency, the 5-2 favorite in the field of eight, completed the mile in 1:34.48 on firm turf and paid $7.40 to win.
"You can't beat back class," Lynch said. "He trained awesome coming up to the race. We got some stiff works into him and he stood up to each one better than the next. Turning for home, I could see them riding hard behind him and Irad [Ortiz Jr.] had asked him—it gave me a helluva good feeling. To see him quicken up and finish up like he did, it was a helluva prep race for the Elkhorn at Keeneland."
The 1 1/2-mile Elkhorn Stakes (G2T) for older horses at 1 1/2 miles on the turf is scheduled April 23.
Ortiz said Saturday's race went according to plan.
"We wanted to get a clean break and let him go," Ortiz said. "If we can make the lead, that would be great. And that's what happened. He did everything I asked."
Bred by Sally Thomas & New Dawn Stable out of the Mr. Greeley mare Phantom Rising, Phantom Currency improved his record to six wins and a second from 15 starts, with earnings of $374,495. He was a $260,000 purchase by Susan and Jim Hill from Paramount Sales' consignment to the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.