Pumpkin Rumble Holds Off Melmich in Valedictory
Image:
Description:
Photo: Michael Burns
Pumpkin Rumble (inside) edges Melmich in the Valedictory Stakes
In the late stages of the $125,000 Valedictory Stakes (G3) Dec. 9 at Woodbine, one thing was clear: Trainer Kevin Attard was going to win the 1 3/4-mile race.
What was in question until the final strides was which of his two horses would cross the wire first.
After pacesetter (and another Attard trainee) A. A. Azula's Arch packed it in during the third turn, stablemates Melmich and Pumpkin Rumble hooked up in a duel to the wire.
Melmich, a five-time graded victor and the winner of the 2015 Valedictory, appeared to have momentum on the outside under jockey Luis Contreras and even put a head in front, but Pumpkin Rumble and Eurico Rosa da Silva dug in on the rail and outlasted his rival to win by a half-length.
"Melmich is an amazing, amazing horse … and at the eighth pole, it looked like Melmich was going to take it, but my horse came back," da Silva said. "I'm so proud of him. He dug in and won the race."
The result extended streaks for both horses. The Valedictory was the third straight victory for Al and Bill Ulwelling's Pumpkin Rumble, although it was his first graded score. It was Melmich's third straight runner-up effort in the marathon on the Woodbine synthetic main track.
"I was just mute—kinda just watching them," Attard said of the stretch run. "I was hoping nobody else was coming from behind, and it's just nice to see good horses. Melmich is a great horse, and we've enjoyed a lot of success with him. He fought really hard today. I think he was the old Melmich who people know, and Pumpkin Rumble obviously is a good horse himself, too."
The top pair came in 8 1/2 lengths clear of third-place finisher Vintage Matters, who was followed by Bangkok, A. A. Azula's Arch, English Illusion, Bowsprit, Ethical Funds, and Seeking Albert to complete the order of finish. The final time was 2:56.16 over the all-weather track.
By English Channel , the 7-year-old Pumpkin Rumble was bred in Pennsylvania by Smart Angle, out of the Storm Cat mare Clarins. He has a 9-8-8 record from 42 starts and has earned $550,453. Melmich, another 7-year-old, pushed his earnings to $1,026,331.