BackTrack: Hansen Prevails in Juvenile at Churchill

On a pre-dawn summer morning in 1995, Dr. Kendall Hansen experienced one of horse racing's horrific lows when he lost his stable of horses in a barn fire at Ellis Park in western Kentucky.

But on a chilly afternoon this September at Turfway Park, he was in the winner's circle experiencing one of racing's greatest highs. His 2-year-old colt Hansen had just won the Bluegrass Cat Kentucky Cup Juvenile Stakes by 131⁄4 lengths after a debut maiden victory by 121⁄4 lengths at the Kentucky racetrack.

"This business has its ups and downs," Hansen said after the WinStar Kentucky Cup race. "It's a dream. I'm about ready to cry."

A good horse can trigger strong emotion, and on Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs Hansen the horse did so again. But this time, his owner was on his hands and knees kissing the synthetic brick in the winner's circle.

Crazy perhaps, but the doctor is known for being somewhat of a character. And his horse had just won the grade 1 Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile to put himself in the picture for the 2-year-old championship for 2011.

Hansen's victory in the $2 million race at 11⁄16 miles didn't really come as a surprise to his connections, and it had nothing to do with the colt's victory in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile.

"We knew before he raced, he was a Breeders' Cup horse," trainer Mike Maker said. "We always dreamed of this day, and like I said, we kind of had it in the back of our minds before we even started (racing Hansen)."

Kentucky homebred Hansen, by Tapit  out of the Sir Cat mare Stormy Sunday, generated a buzz at Turfway in September, and it carried through to the Breeders' Cup. He was the 7-1 third choice in the 13-horse Juvenile behind undefeated Union Rags , the even-money favorite, and California shipper Creative Cause .

On an improbable second day of the World Championships when major upsets were the story, bettors got the Juvenile right as far as the top three finishers went. But they clearly expected Chadds Ford Stable's Union Rags, who had won the Champagne Stakes (G1) and Three Chimneys Saratoga Special Stakes (G2), to dominate the race.

As he had done in his two previous races, Hansen, a gray/roan colt who appears almost white, left the gate quickly and was clearly in front before the field hit the first turn. Ramon Dominguez, riding the colt for the first time, got him settled before the first quarter-mile was completed in :23.26.

Tracked by longshot Speightscity and Creative Cause, Hansen was steady in his tempo and, for the first time, didn't have a commanding lead. Never in front by more than two lengths, Hansen posted splits of :47.39 for the half-mile and 1:12.24 for six furlongs.

As the field turned for home, Union Rags, ridden by Javier Castellano, continued to gain after a four-wide trip and appeared to have the momentum to get by Hansen, whose lead had diminished to a half-length by mid-stretch. Union Rags, however, drifted out at the wrong time, and it cost him: The favorite was gaining at the finish but fell short by a head.

The time on a track rated fast was 1:44.44. Creative Cause held his position to finish third, a length behind Union Rags and five lengths ahead of Dullahan, who rallied from last to take fourth.

Michael Matz, trainer of Union Rags, appeared to take the narrow defeat and somewhat troubled trip in stride.

"He was wide on the first turn, and he was wide on the second turn," Matz said of Union Rags, who started from post 10. "(Castellano) said the other horse had his own way, and that Union Rags galloped out good and strong.

"I didn't get a good draw, but I guess that's horse racing. What are you going to do? It's one of those things."

According to the Trakus system now being used by Churchill, Union Rags traveled 78 feet farther than Hansen during the race. That led to immediate speculation by handicappers that Union Rags would have won with a slightly better trip.

"One jump after the wire I was in front," Castellano said. "I'm disappointed in the result, but I'm not disappointed in my horse. He ran a wonderful race. I give the winner a lot of credit because he ran fast early and held on. You have to give him credit."

Dominguez said Hansen was headstrong into the first turn but switched leads entering the backstretch and "relaxed beautifully." He said the colt was pressed near the three-eighths pole but dug down for more.

"I'm very pleased," Dominguez said. "He's special."

Dominguez was successful in following Maker's instructions. The week of the Breeders' Cup, Kendall Hansen said he expressed concern to the trainer that Hansen had never had dirt in his face in races or workouts.

"I said to Mike, 'This race is so difficult. He'll likely have to tuck in second or third,' " Hansen said. "Mike had this strange smile on his face and said, 'Kendall, you don't have to worry about this horse having dirt in his face.' "

Indeed, Hansen the colt has been a handful. Based at the Churchill Downs Training Center, Hansen worked strongly on the dirt in preparation for his dirt racing debut after the two Polytrack races at Turfway.

Maker hasn't let jockeys work the colt, who is a free-running type the trainer said "always has been a fighter." Hansen remained at the training center, located about 15 minutes from Churchill, for the purpose of consistency, and was shipped to Churchill a few days before the Juvenile.

The colt caught the eye of others long before he raced, and by the time the Breeders' Cup had been run Kendall Hansen had picked up some partners: Dr. Harvey Diamond, David Koenig, and Jim Shircliff of Sky Chai Racing. Immediately after the Kentucky Cup, Hansen said he would sell shares in the colt if he got the right offers.

Kentucky-based Sky Chai has had success with horses such as Twinspired , who just missed winning this year's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1); Night Action, who won the 2008 Miller Lite Cradle Stakes; and Cherokee Triangle, a multiple stakes winner of $330,294. Maker trained those three horses for Sky Chai, who hired him after trainer Bill Million retired.

Diamond, racing manager for Sky Chai, said the group purchased a "nice 2-year-old" in May that worked in company with Hansen one day. Hansen was in front by about 15 lengths at the end of the work, so Diamond inquired about buying part of the colt.

"We thought we had a really nice 2-year-old, and I said, 'Hey, I want to own that horse,' " Diamond said. "Kendall was receptive to our offer, and we feel lucky to be part of this team today."

Diamond said the terms of the agreement are private, though Hansen said he plans to maintain ownership of 51% of Hansen. The colt has been a bit of a surprise for the Northern Kentucky pain management specialist, who some 30 years ago was a full-time handicapper and bettor at Turfway before he entered medical school.

After the Ellis Park fire Hansen continued to own horses but had a much smaller stable. In February 2005 he claimed Stormy Sunday, Hansen's dam, for $5,000 in her career debut at Turfway.

The mare, who won three of four starts in a short racing career, produced Hansen's full brother, Tapanna, who broke his maiden at Turfway the same day Hansen won the Kentucky Cup Juvenile. Kendall Hansen, not knowing how well Hansen was training, gave the mare away to be used as a riding horse.

After getting word from Maker that Hansen was a colt of quality, the doctor decided he had made a mistake with Stormy Sunday. He got her back—for $10,000 and a watch.

"She wasn't a really good mom, so I gave her to a good home," Hansen said. "I've only bred a few horses, all of them out of her."

There is also a yearling half brother by Corinthian out of Stormy Sunday.

Plans for Hansen are up in the air pending discussion among the partners. Maker indicated the colt would prepare for his 3-year-old debut in Florida; the trainer usually has stalls at Gulfstream Park.

Kendall Hansen also said Florida is likely, though he'd like Hansen to race in the Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes, a grade 3 event this year, next March at Turfway, which he considers home. Turfway, which races about five months a year, has managed to crank out some good ones despite smaller purses and increasing competition for horses from racetracks with alternative gaming.

Hansen is the latest horse to win a stakes at Turfway and subsequently win a Breeders' Cup race. The Maker-trained Furthest Land won the Kentucky Cup Classic (G2) and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) in 2009; Eldaafer won the Turfway Park Fall Championship (G3) and Breeders' Cup Marathon (G3) in 2010.

In addition, this year's Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes was won by Animal Kingdom, who in his next start won the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1).

"It's very rewarding and a source of pride for us," said Turfway president Bob Elliston, who was on hand at Churchill to see Hansen's victory. "It also dispels the myth that horses can't prep on a synthetic surface and then win on a dirt track.

"It's doubly rewarding for us because Kendall Hansen has been a good customer for the track. He's a gentleman, a good handicapper, and he supports our program with $5,000 claimers, too. It's nice to see him get the rewards of a really nice racehorse. He's a character."

Maker, a man of few words but always with a confident look, learned the game from his father, George, a trainer in his native Michigan. The younger Maker was an assistant to trainer D. Wayne Lukas from 1993-2003, and during that period worked with several of Lukas' Breeders' Cup winners.

Maker, who has about 100 horses in his stable, has become a force in Kentucky, having won titles at all four Kentucky tracks. Through this year he has won eight training titles at Turfway.

Maker races a string of horses at Saratoga in the summer, but Hansen didn't make the trip there because he wasn't quite ready for his debut. The trainer had penciled in a one-mile maiden special weight event in September at Turfway for Hansen's first start, but the plans were scrapped when Kendall Hansen couldn't find the colt's papers.

Hansen ended up making his first start Sept. 9 at Turfway in a 51⁄2-furlong maiden test. So his first start around two turns came in the 11⁄16-mile Kentucky Cup Juvenile.

Maker never indicated the change in plans was a problem. There was discussion about racing Hansen in the Dixiana Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland in early October to try to get graded stakes earnings, but the connections settled on the Turfway race, and Maker trained the colt up to the Breeders' Cup.

Hansen then worked methodically at the Churchill Downs Training Center throughout October and never missed a beat.

"Obviously he has got a lot of speed, and he has always shown it," Maker said. "He also has a lot of fight and a bunch of other good characteristics. I felt confident in him before he ran, and, fortunately, this time I was right.

"I only told that to the owners; they're as crazy as I am. It's great to do this with this bunch of guys."