Sassafras Racing I LLC’s CARNACKS CHOICE (Carson City) rallied from the rear to take
the $114,200
Lafayette S. by a neck at Keeneland on Saturday. Settling toward the back of the pack, the Greg Foley-trained chestnut
rated patiently under regular jockey Julien Leparoux while front
runner Call Me Clash (Clash by Night) set fractions of :22 1/5, :44 2/5 and 1:08
2/5. Advancing five wide leaving the far turn, the eventual winner ran down the
pacesetter to finish seven furlongs in 1:21 on the Polytrack.
“He broke slowly,” Foley said. “There was lots of speed in the race. He got
back a little farther than I would have liked but then he really came on.
Julien’s ridden him nearly every time and he’s a really good fit for (Carnacks
Choice).”
Sent off at 10-1, Carnacks Choice paid out $22.80, $8.60 and $6.80 while
spearheading the $303.40 exacta, $10,613.80 trifecta and very nice $118,167.60
superfecta (9-7-2-11). Holding on to second at 17-1, Call Me Clash gave back
$12.60 and $9, while 47-1 longshot Ollie Jet (Stormy Atlantic) was worth
$13 for taking third by a head. Completing the order of finish were Barkley Sound (Dixieland Band), Prom
Shoes (Include), Out of Gwedda (Out of Place), Silver Express (Unbridled’s
Song), Izzie’s Halo (Halo’s Image), Storm Force (Storm Cat), Don’tgetmadgeteven
(Steven Got Even) and Place Your Bet (Out of Place).
Breaking his maiden under Leparoux in October at Churchill Downs, Carnacks Choice
ran second to eventual Southwest S. winner Teuflesberg (Johannesburg) in an allowance
event in November. He made his stakes and sophomore bow in the Turfway Prevue S.,
scoring by a neck, then returned in the W.E.B.N. S.
last out and recorded his only off-the-board finish when fourth. With
this win, Carnacks Choice now sports a 6-3-2-0 line and doubled his earnings
to $139,736.
Bred by Eugene Melnyk in Florida, Carnacks Choice sold for $35,000
as a Keeneland September yearling. He is the second registered foal out of
the stakes-placed Ellesmere (Tabasco Cat).