Robert B. Lewis S. (gr. II)
(gr. II , 8.5f ,)
CARACORTADO
(CH g,
117
lb) $90,000
Cat Dreams —Mons Venus , by
Maria's Mon
B—Mike Machowsky,
CA.;
O—Blahut Racing LLC and Lo Hi Racing;
T—Michael Machowsky
Dave in Dixie
(DK B/ h,
115
lb) $30,000
Dixie Union —Risk , by
Wavering Monarch
B—Glencrest Farm LLC,
KY.;
O—Thrash, Ike and Dawn;
T—John W. Sadler
American Lion
(B h,
117
lb) $18,000
Tiznow —Storm Tide , by
Storm Cat
B—Dr. William Lockridge,
KY.;
O—WinStar Farm LLC;
T—Eoin G. Harty
Margins: 1¾, ½, 2¼. Others: Tiz Chrome 117($9,000) , Tango Tango 115($3,000) . Winning Jockey, Paul Atkinson.
Caracortado, CaliforniaÕs champion 2-year-old male of 2009, is off hunting bigger game this year. Caracortado, whose name means scarface in Spanish, threw himself into the Triple Crown picture with a triumph in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita in his first start of the year.
Caracortado is unbeaten in five starts for Blahut Racing, owned by Donald Blahut and his wife, and Lo Hi Racing, owned by the geldingÕs breeder/trainer, Mike Machowsky.
A son of Cat Dreams, Caracortado clinched Cal-bred championship honors with a victory in the restricted California BreedersÕ Champion Stakes opening day Dec. 26 at Santa Anita. He earlier won twice at Hollywood Park and once at Fairplex Park.
Last yearÕs Robert B. Lewis winner, Pioneerof the Nile, gave a good account of himself in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). Pioneerof the Nile finished second to Mine That Bird in a 19-horse field.
The Robert B. Lewis formerly was run as the Santa Catalina Stakes. Its winners included Ferdinand, the 1986 Kentucky Derby winner, and Sham, who ran second to Secretariat in the 1973 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes (gr. I).
Blahut Racing, alone and in partnership, has raced additional stakes winners Southern Image, Shuffling Kid, Down the Canyon, Native Boundary, and Kelly Leak.
Kelly Leak was a Triple Crown contender last year. He won the $900,000 Sunland Derby in late March, with Mine That Bird finishing fourth. Kelly Leak missed the Run for the Roses and didnÕt run again until late summer.
Southern Image, who raced for a partnership, won the 2003 Malibu Stakes (gr. I) and the 2004 Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I), Pimlico Special Handicap (gr. I), and Barretts/CTBA Classic Stakes. CaracortadoÕs yearling half-sister is by Southern Image.
Machowsky campaigned earlier graded stakes winner September Secret in the Lo Hi name.
Caracortado is the first stakes winner by Cat Dreams. A son of Storm Cat, Caracortado stands for $1,500 at Thomas and Lesalene PompellÕs Still Creek Farms near Brookville, Ind.ÑD.S.