Cutting back to a sprint for the first time since annexing the GIII Bob Hope S. at Del Mar last November, Toews On Ice took care of business in Saturday's William Walker S. at Churchill Downs, holding off the rallying outsider of the quintet. Sheikh of Sheikhs looked to have every chance outside the eventual winner in upper stretch, but peaked on his run and was forced to settle for third. The even-money favorite, ridden by David Lopez, took up a three-wide perch from third as Twizz (Twirling Candy) and Patton Proud (Eskendereya) dueled inside him through a hot opening quarter mile. Toews On Ice cruised up outside of that duo on the turn traveling well and turned them in, with Sheikh of Sheikhs now in hot pursuit. But Toews On Ice had the answers, as he led clear into the final furlong and held sway late as Entertainer proved the chief beneficiary of the sizzling early fractions.
“He ran good,” said Jimmy Barnes, assistant to trainer Bob Baffert. “We brought David here to work some horses for us. We gave him a mount today. He did good with it. I don't know what happens next with the horse. Bob makes that call. I just get them ready and then hopefully get a picture taken.”
The 2-year-old full-brother to Toews On Ice, now named Archvillain, was a $100,000 Keeneland September yearling who fetched $335,000 from D J Stable at the recently concluded OBS April Sale. Wild Forest Cat is the dam of a yearling full-sister to the siblings and was most recently bred to Trappe Shot.
WILLIAM WALKER S., $100,000, CD, 4-30, 3yo, 6f, 1:10.91, sy.
1–TOEWS ON ICE, 120, c, 3, by Archarcharch
1st Dam: Wild Forest Cat (GSP), by D'wildcat
2nd Dam: Bon Caro, by Bon Point (GB)
3rd Dam: Really Dear, by Caro (Ire)
($110,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP; $340,000 RNA 2yo '15 BARMAR).
O-Karl Watson, Michael E. Pegram & Paul Weitman; B-Lakland
Farm (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-David Charles Lopez. $62,000.
Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP, 8-4-1-2, $307,700.
2–Entertainer, 118, c, 3, Malibu Moon–Cherokee Queen, by
Cherokee Run. ($275,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-William S. Sparks;
B-Doug & Felicia Branham (KY); T-Ron Moquett. $20,000.[bullet ad=”eaton-sold”]3–Sheikh of Sheikhs, 118, c, 3, Discreetly Mine–Homesteader,
by Pioneering. ($50,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP; $330,000 2yo '15
EASMAY). O-Abdullah Saeed Almaddah; B-Manuel Andrade
(FL); T-Wesley A. Ward. $10,000.
Margins: 2, 1 3/4, 2. Odds: 1.10, 8.70, 2.90.
Also Ran: Twizz, Patton Proud. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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