Blacktype Wins Record Commonwealth Turf Cup

Jump Sucker Stables' Blacktype set a course record Sept. 24 in the $200,000 Commonwealth Turf Cup (gr. IIT) at Laurel Park, running a mile in 1:33.43 on the Maryland oval's All Along turf course. 

The 5-year-old French-bred Dunkerque gelding made it three in a row and took his game to the next level with his first grade II victory after winning the July 31 Oceanport Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Monmouth Park for trainer Christophe Clement off an allowance/optional claimer score July 3 at Belmont Park.

"We knew he was a nice horse," said Clement. "He won his last race, which was a grade III at Monmouth, but it's nice because today's race confirmed that he is a nice horse without a doubt."

Trevor McCarthy was in the irons to execute a rail-skimming rally from well off the pace for a half-length win. The final time on a firm course broke the previous mark of 1:34.23 set by 4-year-old Cozy Gain on April 2, 2006.

"I thought that there were three or four horses in the race with some speed, so I wanted to be able to settle behind it," Clement said. "He was maybe a touch further back than what I was expecting, but he was very comfortable and he got a great ride from Trevor McCarthy. He was able to save ground and finished very well on the inside."

"He got up just in time," McCarthy said. "He had an awesome acceleration. Early on it was a good pace, and he's got such a great stride it doesn't feel like you're going that fast when he was finishing. He was rolling today. It's an honor and a great privilege to ride a horse like that."

Longshot Heiko opened a two-length lead and set quick opening fractions of :23.26 and :46.43, and still held the advantage after three-quarters in 1:09.70. But Blacktype was closing from ninth and surged forward to get the win. 

"He broke well and we got him back," McCarthy said. "The biggest thing was getting him to relax and getting him cover and just getting him to turn off in the beginning of the race. When I kind of made my move into the turn, I thought he was really going to finish good. The hot pace really helped. The horses kind of came back to us and he was really the last one running. He was really accelerating for me the last eighth of a mile when I really needed him the most. I'm really proud of him."

Blacktype returned $9.40, $5, and $3. Top of Mind finished a game second and was worth $23.20 and $10.60, a head in front of favored Force the Pass ($2.80).

Bred in France by E.A.R.L. Haras Du Quesnay out of the unraced Anabaa mare Theorie, Blacktype sold for under $9,557 as a yearling at the Deauville November mixed sale in 2012. He ran nine times in France and was imported to the United States in 2014, but did not find his greatest success until this season.

"Sometimes that happens," Clement said. "When horses get good, they get really good, and by winning they get better. In this case, that's what happened. We took the blinkers off because he was a bit too strong with the blinkers and he seems to be a better horse that way."

Blacktype's career record stands at 7-2-5 from 20 starts, for earnings of $471,665.