Returning to action for the first time since his fifth in the Breeders’ Cup
Turf (G1), James T. Scatuorchio’s ENGLISH CHANNEL (Smart Strike) surged clear in
midstretch to record a three-quarters of a length victory in Saturday’s $100,000
Canadian Turf H. With regular partner John Velazquez aboard, the Todd Pletcher
trainee wrapped up the 1 1/16-mile contest in 1:39 on Gulfstream Park’s firm
turf course.
Favored at odds of 9-5, English Channel broke sharply and gained a tactically
superb stalking position in the early stages, shadowing pacesetter Gulch
Approval (Gulch) through fractions of :23 4/5, :48 2/5 and 1:10 4/5. As the
field straightened into the stretch, Gulch Approval was soon overtaken by
English Channel to his outside, while Good Reward (Storm Cat) was making
sneakily good progress along the rail. English Channel had too much firepower
for his rivals as he hit the front at the eighth pole, getting the mile in 1:33
2/5, and did not look in danger of defeat as he strode to the line. The
late-charging Miesque’s Approval (Miesque’s Son) finished with a rush for
second, a half-length ahead of Silver Tree (Hennessy). It was another 1 1/2
lengths back to Good Reward, who failed to sustain his bid.
“It was very easy,” winning rider Velazquez said. “All I had to do was get
position and bide my time. When he was ready to run, I asked him and he
responded. I was just a passenger here.”
English Channel returned $5.60, $4.40 and $2.60 while keying $1 exotics of
$20.40 (exacta), $46.50 (trifecta) and $195.10 (2-8-7-5 superfecta).
Gulch Approval faded to fifth, followed by Big Booster (Accelerator), Muqbil
(Swain [Ire]), Everything to Gain (Sky Classic) and Flirt with Fortune (Touch
Gold).
Bred by Keene Ridge Farm in Kentucky, English Channel was purchased by his
present owner for $50,000 at the 2003 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is
the first foal from the unraced Belva (Theatrical [Ire]), a full sister to 1996
Santa Ana H. (G1) queen Pharma and multiple Grade 2 winner Hap. Belva has since
produced an unnamed juvenile full brother to English Channel and a yearling filly by
Street Cry (Ire). English Channel’s second dam is the brilliant European
sprinter Committed (Hagley), a champion in England, Ireland and France who
captured consecutive runnings of the Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp (Fr-G1) in
1984-85.
English Channel has improved his career mark to 10-6-2-0 with $1,231,091 in
earnings. As a three-year-old last year, he landed the Virginia Derby (G3),
Colonial Turf Cup S. and Woodlawn S. After a second in the Secretariat S. (G1),
he just failed by a head in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational S. (G1),
then capped his season with a fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
“I’m not sure what his best distance is,” Pletcher said, adding, “His best
distance is probably a mile-and-an-eighth to a mile-and-a-quarter. It’s good to
see that we can stretch him out from here. We’ll go to the Woodford Reserve
(Turf Classic S. [G1]) on Derby Day (May 6 at Churchill Downs).”