Phil Baneth, Art Sherman and Tony Vitone’s CARTHAGE (Smoke Glacken) got the
better of the duel with champion Lost in the Fog (Lost Soldier), pulling away
to a three-length win in the $97,500
Golden Gate Fields Sprint S. on Saturday.
Although Lost in the Fog came in with the better reputation, it was the gelded
six-year-old who walked away with the top prize.
Breaking sharply from the rail, Carthage had a short lead early, but he and
Lost in the Fog were nearly inseparable through wicked early splits of :21 1/5
and :43 3/5 for the opening half-mile. Turning for home, Carthage opened up and
continued on while his fellow pacemaker found himself in a battle to retain the
place. Carthage, trained by Art Sherman and ridden by Dennis Carr, crossed
the wire in 1:09 for the six furlongs and rewarded his backers with prices of
$4.80 and $2.10 while keying the $6.60 exacta in the four-horse field.
Elegant Ice (Kahuna Jack) finished third, another 4 1/4 lengths back, and was
followed by Twentythreejaybird (Not For Love). Seattle Buddy (Seattle Slew) was
withdrawn.
Carthage reeled off his fourth consecutive open-lengths tally in upping his mark
to 17-8-2-2 with earnings of $240,185. The gray, who was claimed for just
$32,000 in 2004, was victorious in the San Carlos H. and Fairfax S. in his last
pair.
Bred in the Bluegrass State by Donald Eberts, the winner fetched a bid of
$440,000 at the 2002 Keeneland April Two-Year-Olds-in-Training Sale. Produced
from the winning Halomatic (Halo), Carthage has an unraced half-sister named
Kiss Buddha Byebye (Buddha), as well as an unnamed yearling filly half-sister by
Hold That Tiger.