In front of an opening-day crowd of 44,873–the largest in 21 years–James McIngvale's Runhappy (Super Saver) put an exclamation point on a championship season with an authoritative, front-running victory in the GI Malibu S. In defeating 'TDN Rising Star' Marking (Bernardini), Runhappy became the first horse based outside of California to win the race since Run Man Run defeated Artax in 1998 and just the third to accomplish the feat in the last 30 years.
With regular rider Edgar Prado sidelined via injury, Runhappy–controversially returned to trainer Laura Wohlers following his last-out success in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland Oct. 31–was sent to the front by Gary Stevens, who kept the $200,000 Keeneland September graduate a few paths off the rail, daring Jose Lezcano atop Marking to either take the risk of being trapped inside the pacesetter or being consigned to a wider trip than desired. The Godolphin runner would not go down without a battle, but in the end, Runhappy proved far too classy, winning for the sixth straight time to lock up an Eclipse Award while likely garnering support in a few other categories.
“He blows me away,” commented Stevens. “That was only the second time I've sat on him and to get to feel that power coming into the stretch was awesome. I just want to say 'thank you' to Edgar Prado. Edgar and I had a couple of conversations earlier in the week when I found out I was going to ride this horse and he told me quite a few things about him that helped me today. It was all Runhappy though and he's an extremely special horse.”
Saturday, Santa Anita
MALIBU S.-GI, $300,500, SA, 12-26, 3yo, 7f, 1:21.76, ft.
1–RUNHAPPY, 123, c, 3, by Super Saver
1st Dam: Bella Jolie, by Broken Vow
2nd Dam: Jolie Boutique, by Northern Jove
3rd Dam: Mimi La Sardine, by Tank's Prospect
($200,000 Ylg '13 KEESEP). O-James McIngvale; B-Wayne, Gray
& Bryan Lyster (KY); T-Laura Wohlers; J-Gary L. Stevens.
$180,000. Lifetime Record: 8-7-0-0, $1,481,300. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
[bullet ad=”ashview-farm-bred-and-raised”] [bullet ad=”webb-carroll-another-wctc-grad”][bullet ad=”tht-bloodstock-recommended-yearling-purchase”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″] 2–Marking, 118, c, 3, Bernardini–Seventh Street, by Street Cry
(Ire). O-Godolphin Racing LLC; B-Darley (KY); T-Kiaran McLaughlin.
“TDN Rising Star” $60,000.
3–Lord Nelson, 118, c, 3, Pulpit–African Jade, by Seeking the
Gold. ($340,000 Ylg '13 KEESEP). O-Peachtree Stable;
B-Clearsky Farms (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $36,000.
Margins: 3HF, 1 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 0.50, 4.80, 7.20.
Also Ran: El Kabeir, Watershed, Pain and Misery, Bad Read Sanchez. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Given his early education by trainer Chuck Simon, Runhappy was conditioned to Wohlers to a green, but sensational Turfway maiden victory two days shy of a year ago that had social media abuzz, but the hysteria was relatively short-lived, as he was bumped hard at the start of the GIII Lecomte S. Jan. 17 and showed some early speed before dropping away tamely to finish better than 21 lengths adrift of International Star (Fusaichi Pegasus) in ninth. The bay returned in flying form off a six-month absence and now under the tutelage of Maria Borell, with daylight allowance scores at Ellis Park July 7 and at Indiana Grand July 31 before announcing himself really and truly with an staggering four-length victory after a slow break in the GI King's Bishop S. at Saratoga Aug. 29 at odds of 11-1.
He blew the start again when next seen in Keeneland's GIII Phoenix S. Oct. 2, but he managed to overcome that faux pas, a sloppy main track and his saddle slipping to register a 1 3/4-length success. While many thought that the abundance of speed signed on to his outside in the Breeders' Cup Sprint could prove his undoing, he was instead content to sit a stalking trip while deep and raced by the likes of Private Zone (Macho Uno) for a 3/4-length success. No winner of the Sprint had managed to follow up in the Malibu, but that all changed in the span of 81 seconds Saturday afternoon.
After breaking like a 'Quarter horse' in Stevens's words, Runhappy scampered to a clear early advantage as Marking tried his best to keep up and the opening couple of furlongs were posted in :22.62, a canter for a horse capable of going much quicker. Sensing he lacked the gas to get through to the inside of the front-runner, Lezcano guided Marking off heels and to the outside, but that brief momentum loss allowed Stevens and Runhappy to expand on their advantage, despite a more taxing internal quarter in :22.19. Kept busy by Stevens from there, Runhappy cut the corner into the lane under hand urging and kept up his relentless gallop to the line while receiving two turndowns on his right shoulder. Marking was a gallant second from Lord Nelson, who covered ground and kept on well for third.
“It didn't surprise me the way he ran today,” said Wohlers. “He's been training well even though he's been doing some crazy stuff in the mornings, it's just because he just wants to stand around and do what he wants to do. We let him get away with that at the training center. Maybe we have to be a little stricter with him, but right now, he really enjoys taking his time looking around. This is a very new environment for him.”
Wohlers indicated that Runhappy would let down on a Texas farm for about two months and that the first main objective of 2016 would be the GI Met Mile H. in New York, with a possible prep prior to that. Such a plan would likely preclude a trip to Dubai for the G1 Golden Shaheen at the end of March, but owner McIngvale is focused on a return trip to the Golden State about 10 months down the road.
“We hoped he would run well, and he certainly did,” he said. “We're thrilled with him. It's a thrill to win here and we hope to be back for the Breeders' Cup [Nov. 4-5].”
The winner's dam has a 2-year-old colt by Curlin named Curlins Vow, a yearling colt by Lookin at Lucky who was purchased by Twin Creeks Racing for $255,000 at Keeneland September days after Runhappy's King's Bishop score and a weanling colt by Exchange Rate which was withdrawn from this year's Keeneland November sale. Bella Jolie was bred back to Cairo Prince in 2015 and was purchased by Stonestreet for $1.6 million at Keeneland November three days after the Breeders' Cup (click here for KEENOV coverage by Jessica Martini).
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