Keeneland undercard: Hoist the Gold, Buchu are headed west
Hoist the Gold, receiving a dream trip from jockey John Velazquez, posted a three-quarters of a length victory over favored Nakatomi to win the Friday's Grade 2, $350,000 Phoenix Stakesat Keeneland.
Trained by Dallas Stewart and owned by Dream Team One Racing Stable, Hoist the Gold covered the six furlongs over a fast main track in 1:09.13. It is the first Phoenix victory for Stewart and Velazquez and earned Hoist the Gold a spot in the Breeders' Cup Sprint on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.
Doctor Oscar and Sibelius tore through opening fractions of 21.79 and 44.83 seconds with Hoist the Gold tracking a couple of lengths behind the leaders along the rail. On the turn, Velazquez sent Hoist the Gold three wide after the leaders, hit the front at the three-sixteenths pole and held off all challengers.
A Keeneland sales graduate, Hoist the Gold is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Mineshaft out of the Tapit mare Tacit Approval. It is the first stakes victory for Hoist the Gold, whose career record is 24: 4-6-3, with earnings of $804,547 after adding the winner’s share of $200,725.
Velazquez said he was concerned early that he had Hoist the Gold too close to the hot pace but was relieved when he reached the stretch.
“Dallas Stewart and I talked in the paddock and I watched his (Hoist the Gold’s) races - seems like when he’s close to the pace he’s much better. So I told him I’m going to come out of there and get him third at least and we’ll have a really good chance. Once I got him back and got behind those two horses I was in a great position where I thought I wanted to be. But I almost messed up a little bit when I asked him a little too much the first sixteenth of a mile.”
Stewart confessed to no such worries.
“When you show up with a nice horse and a jock that’s won five Grade 1s for you, you got a lot of confidence," he said. "I didn’t worry about a thing down the backside. It played out perfect. He got him out. The horse loves this track. He came home good, so we know where we’re going November 4: back west."
Hoist the Gold returned payoffs of $14.04, $6.86 and $4.06. Nakatomi, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., paid $4.04 and $3.06 and finished a neck in front of Bango, who returned $2.80 to show under Tyler Gaffalione.
It was another two lengths back to Necker Island, who was followed in order by Sibelius, Gulfstream Way, defending champion Manny Wah, Doctor Oscar, Top Gunner, Voodoo Zip and Baytown Bear.
Buchu romps to victory in Jessamine
Buchu rocketed past longtime leader Bella Haze at the eighth pole and drew off to post a 3 3/4-length victory in the Jessamine Stakes.
With the victory, the Rigney Racing homebred earned a fees-paid berth into the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf to be run Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.
Ridden by Martin Garcia, Buchu completed the 1 1/16-mile distance over a turf course rated as good in 1:42.48 to give trainer Phil Bauer his first Keeneland stakes victory.
Bella Haze led the field of 11 through fractions of 22.84 and 47.37 seconds and 1:12.12 as Buchu raced at the rear of the field. Last going into the far turn, Garcia angled Buchu to the outside and was eight wide entering the stretch.
Buchu quickly made up ground, putting away Bella Haze at the eighth pole and drawing off for the victory.
Bauer credited Garcia for playing a bit role in Buchu's development and said he was delighted to see all the hard work pay off.
“I’m just overwhelmed and really happy for Mr. Rigney, now with one that he bred," he said. "Cue the Mamas and the Papas, we’re ‘California Dreamin.’ ”
Garcia said Buchu gave him confidence early on in the race.
"I knew it was going to be big speed so I just let her break and relax," he said. "In the first turn I just took it easy and took her back and she relaxed on the backside. At the five-sixteenths (pole) I just took her out and then I asked her to go, and all I could see was just going by horses. I’m like, ‘I’m going to win!’ ... She's a superstar."
A Keeneland sales graduate, Buchu is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Justify out of the Galileo mare Flowering Peach. The victory was worth $200,725 and increased Buchu’s earnings to $294,955 with a record of 5: 2-0-2.
Buchu returned $13.30, $7.06 and $5.46. Pharoah’s Wine, ridden by Martin Chuan, returned $11.58 and $9.04 and finished a nose in front of Crown Imperial, who paid $5.22 to show under Ricardo Santana Jr.
It was another neck back to Bella Haze, who was followed in order by Moonlight Gambler, Smooth Waves, Appellate, Abeyance, Time to Dazzle, favored Toupie and Asternia.
