Saham Breaks Through in Jefferson Cup

Saham circled horses in the far turn and took command in midstretch to secure the first graded stakes of his career Sept. 26 in the $100,000 Jefferson Cup Stakes (gr. IIIT) on the turf at Churchill Downs.

In February, Sultan Bin Mishal's Saham defeated eventual grade I winner Force the Pass in a maiden race at Gulfstream Park, but he would finish off the board in his first two stakes starts. Pennsylvania-bred Saham picked up a confidence-building victory in the Crowd Pleaser Handicap for state-breds at Parx Racing two starts ago, before posting his biggest win to date Saturday.

In Saturday's mile race for 3-year-olds, Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Watchyourownbobber, who entered off a claiming race win at Saratoga Race Course, set slow fractions of :25.03 for a quarter-mile and :50.54 for a half-mile under Julien Leparoux. Watchyourownbobber continued to lead through six furlongs in 1:15.11, but Saham, who had raced last of nine early, was able to rally into those slow fractions in the far turn under Joe Rocco Jr.

Saham, a son of Lemon Drop Kid  , seized the lead from the frontrunner in midstretch and powered home to a three-quarter-length victory. Watchyourownbobber held for second, while the Ramseys' Wayward Kitten, who also was prominent throughout, secured third.

"We've always liked him. He won a really good maiden race down in Florida over the winter," said winning trainer Brendan Walsh, who secured his first Churchill stakes score. "I've always trained him with the idea of being a nicer older horse as time goes on. I think he's going to be a hell of a 4-year-old. Today I think he showed what he can really do.

"We might try to run him once more this year seeing as though he is on top of his game, and see how that goes. After that, we may give him a break and get him ready for the spring here."

Saham returned $12.80 to win, $7.60 to place, and $5.80 to show. Watchyourownbobber paid $11.80 and $7, while Wayward Kitten returned $6.20 to show. The first prize was $59,520 and hiked Saham's bankroll to $165,406 with a record of 10-3-2-1. It was Saham's first graded stakes win.

Bred in Pennsylvania by Everest Stables, Saham is the first starter for Texas Kitty, a stakes-placed daughter of Forest Wildcat.