'TDN Rising Star' Pavel (Creative Cause) had given the impression that he had Grade I-caliber talent last fall, and while he'd been off the board in five tough spots since a third-place run in October's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, he finally ascended to the highest level Saturday night in Churchill's GI Stephen Foster H. The prestigious event was a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.
Off at 6-1 from the widest slot as money poured in on last-out GII Alysheba S. romper Backyard Heaven (Tizway), Pavel was forwardly placed into the first turn and settled into fourth in the two path perched just off the chalk's right flank. Able to avoid a quickly stopping Irish War Cry (Curlin)–who was subsequently vanned off with an apparent case of the thumps–Pavel was pushed along by Mario Gutierrez to challenge a taking-over Backyard Heaven after six furlongs in 1:11.59. He blew past that foe with almost no resistance in the vicinity of the quarter pole, and leveled off nicely from there to win as he pleased by a comfortable 3 3/4 lengths. Honorable Duty (Distorted Humor) and Matrooh (Distorted Humor) rounded out the trifecta, while Backyard Heaven faded to sixth.
“He got the perfect setup tonight,” said Gutierrez. “He's been training really well into this race, so I was confident he'd run well… I knew this horse could be better than his last couple of races and he had some bad luck. He overcame that tonight.”
Saturday, Churchill Downs
STEPHEN FOSTER H.-GI, $500,000, Churchill Downs, 6-16, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:49.21, ft.
1–PAVEL, 117, c, 4, by Creative Cause
1st Dam: Mons Venus, by Maria's Mon
2nd Dam: Bid to the Mint, by Key to the Mint
3rd Dam: Cautious Bidder, by Bold Bidder
1ST GRADE I WIN. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($90,000 Wlg '14
KEENOV; $80,000 RNA Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-Reddam Racing LLC;
B-Brereton C. Jones & WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Doug F.
O'Neill; J-Mario Gutierrez. $297,600. Lifetime Record:
10-3-0-1, $1,175,000. *1/2 to Caracortado (Cat Dreams),
MGSW & MGISP, $885,775; and He'll Pay (Haynesfield), SW &
MGSP, $211,619. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”mcmahon-and-hill-purchased-as-a-wnlg”][bullet ad=”hidden-brook-sales-graduate”][bullet ad=”mersant-international”][bullet ad=”winstar-bred”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]2–Honorable Duty, 118, g, 6, Distorted Humor–Mesmeric, by
A.P. Indy. ($130,000 3yo '15 KEENOV). O-DARRS, Inc.;
B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $96,000.[bullet ad=”fedamore-stable-trained-at”]3–Matrooh, 115, g, 8, @distorted Humor–Rockcide, by Personal Flag. ($550,000 Ylg '11 KEESEP). O-Crystal Racing Enterprises and Contreras Stable Inc.; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Cipriano Contreras. $48,000.[bullet ad=”winstar-bred”][bullet ad=”denali-bred-by-winstar-sold-by-denali”]Margins: 3 3/4, NK, HD. Odds: 6.80, 7.70, 68.70.
Also Ran: Hawaakom, Uncle Mojo, Backyard Heaven, Patch, Lookin At Lee, Irish War Cry.
Click for the Equineline.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Pavel earned a strong 97 Beyer Speed Figure for a debut score sprinting at Santa Anita last July, and was immediately tossed into the deep end for the first time when he finished fourth in Saratoga's GII Jim Dandy S. just four weeks later. He justified his connections' aggressiveness with a six-length drubbing in Parx's GIII Smarty Jones S. in September, and was a close-up third while being leaned on for much of the stretch run against elders in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Oct. 7.
Far back in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 4 back in his home state, he was fourth as the favorite cutting back for the GI Malibu S. on the day after Christmas. The grey was fourth again as chalk behind subsequent MGISW Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky) when stretched back out for the Feb. 3 GII San Pasqual S., and was then sent to Meydan for the G1 Dubai World Cup, where he settled for fourth yet again. Pavel most recently took up his familiar spot filling out the superfecta in the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita May 26.
“I really have to thank the owners with this horse and my brother, Dennis, who helped us pick out this horse,” said winning trainer Doug O'Neill. “In his last couple of races, he got really worked up in the paddock and didn't run to his best effort. We know he likes to travel and I have to thank our groom and exercise rider for coming out here early with him and getting acclimated to the track. I'm not sure what we'll do next with him. I see myself nudging up to some adult beverage tonight then thinking about where we go next. We were very optimistic with him all along and to see him put it together was great. We went through a bit of a funky phase with him and had some traffic troubles in his last couple of races.”
Pedigree Notes:
Pavel is the first Grade I winner for his promising young sire (by Giant's Causeway). His dam was acquired by Brereton Jones's Airdrie Stud and WinStar Farm for $250,000 in foal to Harlan's Holiday at the 2012 Keeneland January sale. Recent produce for Mons Venus include a 2-year-old filly named Stormy Encounter (Fed Biz) who was a $130,000 KEESEP purchase by WinStar's Maverick Racing and who turned in her first published breeze at The Thoroughbred Center on Friday. Mons Venus produced a Carpe Diem colt last year and an Upstart filly this Apr. 27.
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