Brazilian-bred 4-year-old Cagney won Sunday's $150,000 Carleton F. Burke Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Santa Anita with French-bred horses filling the next four finishing positions in the 1 1/2-mile race.
Under Mike Smith, Cagney raced in eighth place after a mile run in 1:38.76 but rallied stoutly through the stretch to pass Kerrygold en route to the 1 1/2-length win, completing the distance in 2:26.10 on a firm turf course.
"I was just waiting, biding my time until I could get to the outside turning for home," Smith said. "Once I did, I just gave him some encouragement and he made up some serious ground. Kerrygold was really finishing, it wasn't like he was pulling up."
Kerrygold came home a length ahead of Northern Quest, with Negociateur, Bonapartiste, Fade to Blue, Monsajem, Sign of Hope, and Raypour completing the order of finish.
The win marks the fifth in 11 starts for Cagney, who earned Stud T.N.T. $90,000 for the win. The win marks the first graded stakes win in the United States for Brazil's champion 2-year-old colt of 2000. In his native country, Cagney won a group I and a group III stakes. Cagney (Roy--Donnegalle, by Campero) is trained by Richard Mandella and was bred by Haras Doce Vale.
Cagney returned $7.20, $3.60, and $2.40. Kerrygold paid $3.80 and $2.40, with betting favorite Northern Quest worth $2.40 to show. The $1 exacta paid $15.10.
"He wants to run all day," said Mandella. "In fact, we were hoping for a big race today and then possibly invited to Japan. We'd like to try the Japan Cup with him."
Stud T.N.T.'s colors are the devil's red and blue silks made famous by Calumet Farm. Gonzalo Borges Torrealba purchased the rights to the colors when Calumet sold its farm. (Chart,
Equibase)