Runhappy Takes Phoenix, Headed to BC Sprint

James McIngvale's Runhappy took the lead soon after the start and held off all challengers to win the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (gr. III) Oct. 2, opening day of the Keeneland fall meet.

With Edgar Prado riding for trainer Maria Borell, Runhappy, a 3-year-old colt by Super Saver   who won the grade I King's Bishop Stakes in his previous start, now has five wins in six starts and is headed to the TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I), to be held at Keeneland Oct. 31.

Barbados rallied from far back to nip Work All Week, last year's Breeders' Cup Sprint winner, for second. Holy Boss finished fourth.

Favored Runhappy, who covered the six furlongs in 1:09.96 on a sloppy track, paid $4.80 to win. He hasn't raced with the anti-bleeding medication furosemide, also called Lasix or Salix, in all six of his starts. His only loss came in the grade III LeComte Stakes, his only race around two turns, at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in January.

"He's very talented," Borell said after the Phoenix. "He's an amazing horse. I'm so lucky and blessed to have him. Thank you so much, James McIngvale and (racing manager) Laura Wohlers. I'm so blessed."

Runhappy, bred in Kentucky by Wayne, Gray, and Bryan Lyster, started from post 1—not the best spot in an 11-horse field of sprinters—and was charted as having left the starting gate in last. But Prado rushed him up along the rail, and Runhappy took the lead soon after.

He set fractions of :21.52 for the opening quarter-mile, :44.81 for a half-mile, and :56.92 for five furlongs while comfortably in front. Though Runhappy drifted out in the lane, he was able to maintain a solid advantage at the wire.

"He broke a step slow." Prado said. "I had to get him running out of the gate (from the) inside, and it was a sloppy track with a lot of speed in the race. I had to get in position and let him do his thing. He did it. He's a nice horse—very fast."

Barbados, trained by Mike Tomlinson and ridden by Luis Saez, was last at the first call. The 3-year-old Speightstown   colt, who in his previous start finished fifth in the Mystic Lake Derby at Canterbury Park at a mile on turf, rallied along the rail to capture second by a nose over Work All Week in a quality effort.

"I felt comfortable with the surface," Tomlinson said. "To call this a grade III (race) is an understatement. This is a very tough race. As far as the Breeders' Cup goes, he is probably that caliber. Owner (Paul Hanifl of Suzanne Stables) is out of the country, so I will have to talk it over with him. It's a matter of what direction we go from here."

Work All Week, owned by Richard and Karen Papiese of Midwest Thoroughbreds, broke from post 12 and was in contention throughout. He almost held off Barbados for second.

"We are disappointed," Richard Papiese said. "He didn't handle the track too well, but no excuses. He usually handles a wet track, but I spoke to (jockey Florent Geroux) and he just didn't get a hold of it at all. It is what it is and we'll move on to (the Breeders' Cup). Hopefully we have enough points and the weather isn't like this."

McIngvale, known as "Mattress Mac" because of his ownership of Gallery Furniture stores in Texas, has had his ups and downs in the Thoroughbred business. He indicated Runhappy makes it all worthwhile.

"This horse is special to a lot of people," he said. "He's the kind of horse that who makes you want to get up in the morning instead of sleeping in on one of my mattresses."