Overlooked Maybesomaybenot took the lead from the inside post for jockey Julien Leparoux and never looked back, springing a 9-1 surprise in the $150,000 Sanford Stakes (gr. II) (VIDEO) by 1 1/2 lengths July 25 at Saratoga.
Bail Out the Cat, the 19-10 favorite in the field of eight 2-year-olds, failed to break with the rest of the field and was never a factor, finishing sixth.
Racing over a good track on a cloudy, humid day at Saratoga, Maybesomaybenot won the six-furlong Sanford in 1:10.97. He set a solid pace to lead Another Silver Oak, Commonwealth Rush and Chipshot through quarter-mile fractions of :22.21 and :45.65.
Maybesomaybenot shook off Another Silver Oak near mid-stretch and held on well under right-handed urging as Nacho Saint rallied for second with Garrett Gomez aboard. Another Silver Oak, ridden by John Velazquez, finished third, 2 3/4 lengths behind the winner.
Mike Maker trains Maybesomaybenot, a homebred son of Sunday Break owned by Arthellor and Carolyn Scisney. The couple's daughter-in-law, Karen, is battling lupus and has frequently been in and out of the hospital. To perk up her spirits, the retired couple from Louisville, Ky. gave her a 25% interest in Maybesomaybenot.
“We’ve worked hard all our lives, and this is a joy," Arthellor Scisney said after the win. "My daughter-in-law spoke to us on the phone. She just had bypass surgery on Monday and already has lupus. She has lost 60, 70 pounds. I hope this picks her up. If the Lord does nothing else for me, I’ll be all right.”
He said Maybesomaybenot, who is out of the Olympio mare Majestic Mommy, is not for sale. “I wouldn’t take $400,000 for him,” he said. “This is for my daughter-in-law.”
“The owners are the nicest couple you’d ever want to meet," Maker said. "They’ve had some lesser horses who were stabled where I train my horses, and he’d always tell me ‘When I get a good horse, I’ll bring it over to you.’ He came over to me this spring, and said, ‘I think I have a good horse for you.’
"Their daughter-in-law, who is part owner with them, is quite sick and in the hospital, and hopefully, it will be a good dose of medicine for her. As for the horse’s next start, anything’s a possibility. We’ll just play it by ear.”
Maybesomaybenot had two starts before the Sanford, both at Churchill Downs. The bay gelding finished third in his debut at 4 1/2 furlongs June 11, then went gate to wire to win by six lengths in a six-furlong maiden special weight July 3. He earned $90,000 for the Sanford win, boosting his career total to $125,700.
When the speedy Bail Out the Cat failed to break for jockey Alan Garcia, Maybesomaybenot was able to dictate terms and Leparoux took full advantage to produce an unlikely victory.
“We meant to go in front," Leparoux said. "With the rail, you kind of have to send him from there. He was in front pretty easy and he’s still a little green. He kind of looked around in the stretch, but he did it pretty well. He did it like a nice horse, so hopefully he can go forward from today.”
Leparoux and Maker teamed to win the Claiming Crown Jewel and Claiming Crown Emerald a day earlier at Canterbury Park for owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey,
Maybesomaybenot paid $21.20, $10.60 and $7. He keyed a $123,50 exacta. George and Lori Hall's maiden Nacho Saint, making his third start for trainer Kelly Breen after two runner-up finishes at Monmouth Park, returned $7.50 and $4.20. Repole Stable's Another Silver Oak, a debut maiden victor for Todd Pletcher June 15 at Delaware Park, was $7.40 to show.
Lou Brissie finished three lengths farther back in fourth, followed by Chipshot, Bail Out the Cat, Blue Right By and Commonwealth Rush.
“It was bad luck for us," Garcia said of the favorite's trip. "My horse was acting up in the gate. When the gates opened, he didn't get out. I am really upset about it.”
Trainer Rick Violette said Bail Out the Cat appears to have been uninjured.