Maragh takes Caleb’s Posse to Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (CMC) — Rajiv Maragh strolled to his 23rd stakes victory for the year in North America, when he brought Caleb’s Posse from behind to impressively win the US$1-million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Saturday at Churchill Downs.
The Jamaican jockey drove Caleb’s Posse to a four-length victory over Preakness Stakes winner Shackleford, under Jesus Castanon, in the seventh of the 12 races on the most lucrative day in the sport worldwide.
Caleb’s Posse, a three-year-old bay colt, finished 1,600 metres on the dirt track in a nifty one minute, 34.59 seconds – 1.02 secs off the track record set 11 years ago by Chilukki.
The victory, one of the biggest wins of Maragh’s career, was his third this year on Caleb’s Posse, following their victory in the US$150,000 Amsterdam Stakes on August 1 at the Saratoga Racecourse, where they also combined to win the US$250,000 Foxwoods King’s Bishop Stakes about a month later, beating one of the favourites for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Uncle Mo’ by a nose.
Maragh said he was a bit concerned about the timing of Caleb’s Posse taking over the lead.
“I really didn’t want to make the lead too early,” Maragh said. “He inherited the lead earlier than I expected and he just kept on going.”
Caleb’s Posse looked like a dud when he was outrun for the first half of the race and was one from the rear. He responded to Maragh’s urging when asked to pick up the pace 600 metres from the wire.
Maragh moved him out four wide approaching the stretch and came well out in the strip for the drive, getting the animal to accelerate inside the stretch and closed fast to win going away.
The victory was the fifth in 10 starts this year for the Kentucky-bred Caleb’s Posse, who now has eight wins in 16 career starts.
In the US$5-million feature Breeders’ Cup Classic, jockey Mike Smith had better reasons to enjoy his victory, when he overcame former girlfriend Chantal Sutherland aboard Game On Dude to win with the 17-1 long-shot Drosselmeyer.
It gave Smith his 15th career Cup win, tying him at the top with Jerry Bailey, although he admitted it did not erase the pain felt by his narrow miss in last year’s Classic on the raging hot favourite Zenyatta.
