Patience Pays as John the Beer Man Game in Troy Triumph
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
John the Beer Man (inside) wins the Troy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
Six hundred seventy-three days.
That's how long Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso had to sit and wait for their promising maiden winner John the Beer Man to return to the races after a series of setbacks. Their patience paid off in a big way Aug. 9 as the More Than Ready gelding, making his fourth start since that large gap in the past performances, battled to victory in the $300,000 Troy Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course.
"Can you imagine 673 days for one minute? That's what just happened," Dubb said in the winner's circle. "It's crazy. This is such a tough game if you don't have the patience and the heart, and you don't have the belief in the team. I did, so we've been rewarded."
It was a good thing the team surrounding John the Beer Man had learned patience in that time as they had to wait an extra 10 minutes to hoist his first stakes trophy while stewards looked into an inquiry and rider's objection among the top three finishers. However, the change made by the judges would not take away their celebration.
With Kendrick Carmouche in the saddle, John the Beer Man broke well and assumed position outside of Doncho . Carmouche then sensed jockey Ricardo Santana Jr.—who picked up Doncho's mount from an injured Irad Ortiz Jr.—was not fully intent on leading and he opted to go ahead and take over. He then burned through fractions of :21.28 and :43.50 as Waralo and Rezasrolex moved up on the outside.
Rezasrolex would retreat on the far turn, but despite the hot tempo on the firm course, the other three continued to slug it out through the stretch. John the Beer Man dropped back to third briefly before rallying again on the hedge. In between rivals, Doncho began getting pinballed between them around the 16th pole as John the Beer Man surged back up to beat Waralo and Jose Lezcano by a head.
The stewards took their time reviewing the footage and ultimately declared Waralo was at fault for Doncho's bouncing and disqualified him to third. John the Beer Man kept his win, which he completed in 1:00.97 for 5 1/2 furlongs. He paid $8.92 to win.
John the Beer Man (inside) defeats Waralo (outside) and Doncho to win the Troy Stakes
"I left everything up to Kendrick, and he broke running," trainer Rob Atras said. "He looked like he was comfortable and down the lane, I guess it's almost like he waited on them and then he reengaged. Obviously tough inquiry, a little scary there, but I think we were good. Just really thrilled with this horse, what a godsend."
Bred by Phipps Stable and purchased for $160,000 out of Claiborne Farm's consignment at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the chestnut gelding started his career with Chad Brown, gradually stretching from 7 1/2 furlongs to 1 mile to his maiden win at 1 1/16 miles in May 2024. It was then that he hit the sidelines, at one point nearly making it back before getting sidelined again.
But Dubb and Caruso stayed patient with him and gave him the time he needed. They also wanted to try something new and, given that their team thought he could be a good sprinter, sent John the Beer Man to Atras.
"As a 3-year-old he had issues," Dubb said. "We wanted to just try something different with him, maybe sprinting and everything else. I know Rob and I know how good he is with turf sprinters—he wins a lot of turf sprints. I was like, 'Take this horse.' It's been a 2-year-project. Six-hundred something days, and he did what he had to do."
Atras thought the horse was breezing well at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots and entered him in a 5 1/2-furlong allowance turf sprint on the final day of the meet, March 22.
"I said, 'This horse is breezing good, he shows like he's got some speed. I think we'll be okay sprinting, let's just go ahead and do it and then we'll know where to go with him,'" Atras recalled. "Then he broke out of the gate, opened up 3 (lengths), and won wire-to-wire. He surprised me that day. I knew he was good, but that good I didn't know."
John the Beer Man followed up with another forward win on a yielding Aqueduct Racetrack turf course one month later. Connections then took a shot at the big stage in the Jaipur Stakes (G1T) June 6 at Saratoga where he ran a sensational third, beaten only 3/4 lengths, by top sprinters Reef Runner and Ag Bullet . After some awkward legwork in the stretch when he briefly spooked at a fenced gap in the Mellon Turf Course's hedge.
Atras pushed the praise to the owners and their team, including Jake Memolo of BSW/Crow Bloodstock, who pushed for attempting sprints.
"A lot of people don't want to give time to horses, and they did. Mike's good like that," Atras said. "Give him time, and it's paid off."
John the Beer Man is out of the winning Giant's Causeway mare Trophy Wife, a half sister to grade 1-placed Pleasant Orb.