Stark Contrast (Caravaggio) did very little wrong during his juvenile season, and kicked off 2026 in a similar vein, winning his sophomore bow in Thursday's Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita.
Stark Contrast didn't appear to appreciate the main track when finishing fourth in a six-furlong dirt maiden at Del Mar in August, but immediately turned things around to win next time going a mile on that venue's turf course on Sept. 6.
Making it two-straight when coming from off the pace to take the one-mile GIII Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 5, he was overlooked at 58-1 odds and was nonetheless only 3/4 of a length behind winner Gstaad (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at the seaside oval on Oct. 31.
Once again settled just off the early pace, the hot 1-5 choice tracked 17-1 chance Brigante (More Than Ready) through initial splits of :24.42 and :49.03. Taking control passing the quarter pole, he drew off to score over the early pacesetter by 2 1/4 lengths.
“He's a neat little horse to be around,” said winning trainer Michael McCarthy. “He kind of showed his hand early in Del Mar, he put in a couple of good works in the morning. He ran just well enough on the dirt and from the gate to go ahead and warrant a start on the dirt. Things didn't work out. In his pedigree, Caravaggio gives him a little bit of speed and Quality Road gives him the stamina.”
Out of GSP Catch the Eye, Stark Contrast has juvenile sister by Oscar Performance and a yearling sister by the Mill Ridge sire.
EDDIE LOGAN S., $100,000, Santa Anita, 1-8, 3yo, 1mT, 1:35.38, fm.
1–STARK CONTRAST, 122, c, 3, by Caravaggio
1st Dam: Catch the Eye (GSP, $126,902), by Quality Road
2nd Dam: Turns My Head (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire)
3rd Dam: Egyptian Queen, by Storm Cat
O-Amerman Racing, LLC; B-Jerry Amerman (KY); T-Michael W.
McCarthy; J-Kazushi Kimura. $60,000. Lifetime Record:
GSW & GISP, 5-3-1-0, $342,800.
2–Brigante, 120, r, 3, More Than Ready–Cheeky Charm, by
A.P. Indy. O-Calumet Farm; B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Doug F.
O'Neill. $20,000.
3–Unrivaled Time, 122, c, 3, Not This Time–Margot Machance (GB), by Creachadoir (Ire). O-Innergy Racing Corp and Pais, Alfred; B-Alfred A. Pais (CA); T-Leonard Powell. $12,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 3, 2 1/4. Odds: 0.30, 17.80, 3.90.
Also Ran: Iriseach (Ire), Third Beer. Scratched: Caro Buono (Fr), Plutarch.
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