No Catching Cinco Charlie in William Walker
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Cinco Charlie went gate to wire in an easy victory in the inaugural running of $100,000 William Walker Stakes April 25 on opening night of Churchill Downs' spring meeting.
The son of Indian Charlie, trained by Steve Asmussen for owner William and Corinne Heiligbrodt, coasted across the finish line 1 1/2 lengths clear of runner-up Senor Grits, who made a sweeping five-wide move for a closing second while no threat to the winner.
Blofeld, the 4-5 favorite, was fourth then third in the early running and finished evenly in taking third in the race for 3-year-old sprinters, losing his unbeaten record while starting for the first time in nearly six months.
Ricardo Santana Jr. was aboard Cinco Charlie ($7.40), who was timed in 1:10.86 as the 2-1 second choice on a good, sealed track. The race was named for the African American jockey who won the 1877 Kentucky Derby aboard Baden-Baden and later became a noted bloodstock/pedigree expert.
A six-time stakes winner, Cinco Charlie has seven wins from 11 career starts and earned his second win, both stakes, from three starts this season, including the Riley Allison Stakes Jan. 24 at Sunland Park. Cinco Charlie is perfect in three starts at Churchill, topped by the Bashford Manor Stakes (gr. III) last June.
"He's a professional race horse," said Asmussen's assistant, Scott Blasi. "He's a pleasure. He ran his race today, just like he always does. We'll look at the (seven-furlong, $500,000) Woody Stephens (gr. II) on Belmont Day (June 6) for him next."
Bred in Kentucky by Candyland Farm, Cinco Charlie is out of the stakes-placed Marquetry mare Ten Halos, a half sister to graded stakes winners My Pal Charlie and Bwana Charlie (both by Indian Charlie), and Bwana Bull.