Last Tuesday’s card at Horseshoe Indianapolis turned into something of a celebration of the Irish trainer. John Haran kicked things off in the first race by sending out Touchofchilipepper, which he co-owns with Mike Ryan. The 7-year-old gelding is good for about one win a year and last Tuesday appears to have been that day as he wired the field in a nickel claiming sprint under bugboy A.C. Rodriguez to tally by one length. He paid $8.40 to win.
Fast forwarding to the eighth race, first-time starter Penner Ash appears to have been an overlay at 2-1. This was jockey Rafael Bejarano’s only mount of the day, so he must have had a reason to make the trip from his Kentucky base to ride this 3-year-old son of Curlin for Eddie Kenneally. That question was answered a few strides out of the gate when Penner Ash took the lead in this maiden special weight mile on the grass. He never looked back, scoring by five lengths. He paid $6.40 to win. Kenneally owns the colt in partnership with Stonestreet Stable and Christian Hays.
Half an hour later, Conor Murphy’s claim of Sunny One off George Strawbridge and Jonathan Thomas in March 2021 continues to look better and better. The now-4-year-old filly won her fourth race in 10 starts for Murphy as she led all the way in the ninth race, a starter optional claiming route on the lawn, at the Shoe. Deshawn Parker brought her in five lengths in front for the $4.60 win mutuel. The Eddie K/Murphy double returned $19.20. Sunny One, owned by Midnight Rider Racing Stable, has now earned a multiple of 20 times the price ($7,500) for which she was claimed.
Haran also scored in the previous day’s third race at the Shoe with Bella’s Prayer, a 3-year-old homebred gelding that he owns. Samuel Bermudez had the gelding contending for the lead out of the gate and they reached the wire in front by two lengths. The win price came back $3.40.
A WINNING PRESENCE
Kieron Magee won a presence in winner’s circles at Delaware Park and Laurel throughout the week. Super C Racing’s Honor the Fleet, an 8-year-old gelding, had been somewhat unresponsive to Magee’s ministrations since claimed from Ned Allard for $35,000 back in April. A distant second-place finish in four tries was all that Magee could wring from the graded stakes-placed runner. But last week’s third race, a starter optional claiming route, at Delaware Park saw him post a convincing victory by one and one-half lengths with Daniel Centeno riding. Entered to be claimed for $10,000, there were no takers for Honor the Fleet. He paid $4.00 to win.
Mark Moshe’s Jettin Out, a 5-year-old gelding, has been a popular item at the claim box over the last year and such proved to be the case again in Friday’s third race, a nickel claiming sprint on the main track, at Laurel. But not before he put some jingle into Moshe and Magee’s accounts. Ridden by Jose Rodriguez, he won on the drop here by four lengths and paid $10.00 to win.
On Saturday, Magee swept the early double at Laurel with runners for owner Gokmen Kaya. Assembly Point, a 5-year-old gelding, was dropped off the June claim, scoring by almost three lengths under C.E. Lopez in this main track route at the $8,000 claiming plateau. He paid $3.80 and moved on to trainer Richard Sillaman through the claim box.
Magee then saddled Kaya’s Wicked Mad to victory in the second race, a $16,000 claiming sprint on the lawn. The 4-year-old gelding rallied under Horacio Karamanos to tally by just over two lengths. He paid $6.00 to win and clinched a $10.80 Magee double. Wicked Mad, a winner of two of three races during his stint with Magee, was claimed by Anthony Farrior.
NOT QUITE AN IMMORTAL
As auction prices go, the $90,000 that Maurice and Samantha Regan shelled out in 2020 for Immortalization is not a lot of money. The now-4-year-old gelding had been an honest toiler in the silks of the Regans’ Newtown Anner Stud, picking up a couple wins in the high claiming ranks from eight starts. A fourth-place finish in late July at Saratoga against first-level allowance stock seems to have convinced the Regans that the gelding’s future is in the claiming ranks. And a win is a win, especially at Saratoga, so there he was in last Thursday’s seventh race at the Spa, winning off by almost three lengths under Hector Diaz. This was also a first win at Saratoga for trainer Michelle Hemingway. Immortalization, which paid $4.60 to win, was claimed by Norm Casse.
