Crewman Upsets Hanshin Cup

Finishing seventh in last year's $100,000 Hanshin Cup Stakes (G3), Crewman turned the tables in this year's event, when he won by a neck at odds of 25-1 May 13. 

Dundalk 5 LLC's 6-year-old gelding, with jockey Carlos Marquez Jr. up, raced just off the pace for most of the one-mile test over Arlington International Racecourse's all weather track, narrowly prevailing over Ghost Hunter and Wyeth in the stretch.  

"It just seems like he's been improving at every step," winning trainer Dee Poulos said. "When we got here (Arlington), he's been relaxed. He's very happy training over this track. 

"I had a lot of confidence because the other morning (Marquez) said, 'We're going to win the Hanshin.'"

Out of the gate, Wyeth and Valiant City vied for the lead a tightly packed 11-horse field while Crewman settled to the outside with Hootenanny racing nearby in fourth. Ghost Hunter, the 3-1 post-time favorite, was in fifth. Wyeth and Valiant City traded positions throughout the first six furlongs as fractions went in :23.38, :46.08, and 1:10.20.

Around the turn, Valiant City dropped back as Crewman inched forward and Ghost Hunter tried to find racing room. Crewman and Wyeth battled down the stretch and Ghost Hunter, still trying to find space, had to be checked by jockey Jevian Toledo when trying to go between the two in front. At the wire, it was Crewman over a late-surging Ghost Hunter, who went to the outside and nosed out Wyeth. 

Grade 1 winner Hootenanny was another 2 3/4 lengths back in fourth. Dac, Rated R Superstar, Trace Creek, Surgical Strike, Dimension, Valiant City, and Scitech completed the order of finish. 

The winner returned $53, $19.40, and $12.20 across the board. 

"I worked him last week and he worked very good," Marquez said of Crewman, who notched his first graded win Saturday. "I told Dee that he's ready...He settled nicely and when I called for him, he was very game."

The son of Candy Ride   also won his first stakes race this year in his season debut, taking the 6 1/2-furlong Forego Stakes at Turfway Park in January by three-quarters of a length. He ran off the board in an Oaklawn Park allowance next out in February, and finished fourth at Keeneland in an allowance optional claiming event leading into the Hanshin. 

Bred in Kentucky by Emory Hamilton, Crewman is out of the unraced Empire Maker   mare Lake Naivasha. The bay gelding was a $410,000 purchase by former owner Maverick Racing at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale. He was claimed in his second start, a second-place finish in a maiden claiming race at Hawthorne Race Course, for $25,000 by Dundalk 5 LLC and Sean Kindlon. He now has a 6-11-3 record from 31 starts, with earnings of $232,824.