Kentucky Downs Race Report: Long Green

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At a time when a Thoroughbred racehorse can earn more than $2 million in two minutes and change, you can't help but admire an old warrior who has fattened his account little by little over the long haul. And just when it seems his time has passed, boom--he cashes another check.

In the case of Chorwon, an 8-year-old gelding now in his sixth racing season, the latest check was his biggest ever, and it put him over the million-dollar mark in career earnings. Trainer Hal Wiggins wasn't at a loss for words after the $300,000 Kentucky Cup Turf Handicap (gr. IIIT), but he sure was surprised.

"I thought he had fallen a step or two behind," said the Churchill Downs-based Wiggins, who has trained Chorwon since his 2-year-old season. "We weren't sure what to do with him. He's had minor problems like any horse his age. It's really nice having an 8-year-old like this, and it's nice knowing a horse can stay sound for a long time."

Chorwon, owned by Phoebe Mueller and bred by her late husband, Thomas, was one of 26 horses that ventured to Kentucky Downs Sept. 23 for the four-race Kentucky Cup Turf Festival. The son of Cozzene--Nomo Robbery, by No Robbery, had been there once before--in 1998, when he finished third in the same race--and that can't be taken lightly.

The horse-for-course angle plays out well at Kentucky Downs, located just north of the Tennessee border. At 1 5/16 miles, the course is unique to the United States. Picture an expansive green pasture, with rails put up to form a turf course. The grass is rather tall, with clumps of weeds here and there. There are even a few inclines and downgrades thrown in for good measure.

"The horses either get over it or they don't," jockey Robby Albarado said after his second victory earlier on the Turf Festival program. He laughed and stamped the ground with his boot. "This isn't manicured. It's all natural."

In the Kentucky Cup Turf, at 1 1/2 miles, Chorwon, always void of early speed, dropped back to sixth in the seven-horse field as The Knight Sky, a Saratoga allowance winner, plodded along on the front end through fractions of :49.17 and 1:17.85. Jockey Jon Court saved ground along the inside with Chorwon as the field headed up and down the backstretch hill.

On the far turn, Kim Loves Bucky and Man From Wicklow, second and third behind the leader for about seven-eighths of a mile, made their bids as the field began to bunch. The tempo picked up through a mile in 1:39.95 as Eddie Martin Jr. asked The Knight Sky for more run. Meanwhile, Chorwon, still hugging the fence, had gone from last to fourth.

In midstretch, Chorwon, the co-third choice at 6-1, collared The Knight Sky and rapidly drew away to a five-length margin at the wire. The Knight Sky easily held second over Man From Wicklow. Final time on the course rated firm was 2:28.68, about one second off the course record shared by Down the Aisle and Yaqthan.

The Turf was elevated to grade III for the first time this year, and the timing couldn't have been better for Chorwon. It was the first graded-stakes win for the gelding, who won Churchill's Louisville Handicap on the turf three consecutive years.

"He was running like he had authority on this surface," said Court, who has watched Chorwon for years and finally got a chance to ride him. "I feel privileged. He showed an indication that he wanted to get up into the race earlier, so I shot him up the inside and he finished with a flurry."

Wiggins said Mueller, who lives in Fort Smith, Ark., was unable to attend because the pilot of her private jet had knee surgery. Wiggins has trained for the family for years, and Chorwon, who made his career debut in 1996 against eventual Eclipse Award winner Chief Bearhart, has been a favorite.

"He's just part of the family," Wiggins said. "We all just love him to death."

Chorwon, 13-for-40 in his career, has earned $1,128,555. Wiggins plans to keep the old guy in training.

AMAZON EFFORT

Albarado wasn't kidding when he said horses either love the course or hate it. The trainers know it, too. In 1998, Ken Hoffman saddled G H's Pleasure to win the $100,000 Kentucky Cup Turf Dash, and he made sure the gelding had a few days to get acclimated in Franklin, Ky.

This year, Hoffman shipped Amazon River, a 3-year-old River Special colt, up from the Silver Oaks Training Center in Ocala, Fla., a few days early so he could train over the course. The result was another Dash win for Hoffman, who also owns Amazon River.

Albarado put the colt on the lead, which no one else seemed to want through a pedestrian opening quarter of :24.09. Amazon River was challenged by three foes through a half-mile in :48.18, but by that time, he had too much left in reserve. He kicked clear to win by 1 1/2 lengths over a late-closing One by the Knows in 1:11.34. He was by far the longest shot at 36-1.

"I had this race in mind for a while," Hoffman said. "We've been here every year but last year. I thought he'd like the course. He had a three-month freshening. I tried to (go long in stakes in Florida with him) earlier in the year, and almost had him sold."

Hoffman, who drove a van from Florida with assistant trainer Doug Morley, isn't so sure about Amazon River's sale status now. The colt, who won his third career race and first stakes, has taken to shorter distances but never had sprinted on the grass until the Dash.

SPIRITS AND WISDOM

Trainer Elliott Walden owns the $100,000 Kentucky Cup Ladies Turf. He won the event in 1998 and 1999 with Pleasant Temper, and last year with Silken. This year, he had the odds-on favorite in Gino's Spirits, and kept his record perfect when the Great Britain-bred mare by Perugino pulled away from early leader Please Sign In to win the mile event in 1:39.16. Pat Day was the winning rider.

"The filly needed to get her confidence back," Walden said. "I thought about running her in the (grade III Noble Damsel Stakes at Belmont Park Sept. 22), but we decided to come here. I train for a lot of breeders, and try to find stakes we can win with fillies. Any time I have a European filly, I try to bring her down here."

Gino's Spirits, owned by Tom VanMeter II and Rio Aventura Stables, is a multiple stakes winner in the U.S. with career earnings of $346,082. Santa Escolastica's Jose DeCamargo, a partner in Rio Aventura, said the partnership that purchased Gino's Spirits was arranged by VanMeter. DeCamargo said he also owns horses in partnership with Frank Mansell, another Walden client.

Walden also trains Tabadabado, who finished third in the Ladies Turf. He also conditions Cocktails and Lies, who finished a close second in the $200,000 Kentucky Cup Mile. That race, though, went to yet another horse for course--Carolyn Friedberg's Minor Wisdom, ridden by Albarado.

Illinois-bred Minor Wisdom and Cocktails and Lies dueled throughout in what amounted to a two-horse race. Trained by Richard Scherer, Minor Wisdom maintained a head advantage through the stretch to win in 1:37.68 and boost his career earnings to $493,183.

Minor Wisdom was second in the Mile last year for Scherer.

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