THE CLIFF’S EDGE (Gulch), winner of the 2004 Blue Grass S. (G1), was
represented by his first winner at stud when his two-year-old son Efficient Edge
captured the 1ST race at Churchill Downs on Sunday. The second-time starter took
command in the lane and drew off to a convincing, 5 1/4-length score under Shaun
Bridgmohan. The Steve Asmussen-trained gelding completed five-eighths over the
fast main oval in 1:00.
Trained for the duration of his career by Nick Zito for owner Robert LaPenta,
the then two-year-old sent notice that he was for real in his first start, when
he humbled a solid field by four lengths at Saratoga. Stretched out to 1 1/16
miles in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile S. (G3) in just his second career outing, the
Kentucky-bred finished a good third but was promoted to second via
disqualification. He concluded his juvenile campaign with a
pair of graded tallies, in the Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) and Iroquois S.
(G3).
Considered a leading Kentucky Derby (G1) contender in 2004, the Stonerside-bred
colt finished second at 1-2 odds in the Sam F. Davis S. in February and followed
that up with a strong third in the Florida Derby (G1), which set him up for his
sensational Blue Grass score over subsequent Derby runner-up Lion Heart. The Cliff’s Edge endured equipment trouble in the muddy Derby and
could muster no better than a fifth-place showing, but he completed his 13-race
career with four consecutive graded placings, all in the Empire State. The Zito
pupil exited the Derby to finish second in the Dwyer S. (G2), Jim Dandy S. (G2)
and Travers S. (G1), while capping his brilliant run with a close third in the
Jockey Club Gold Cup S. (G1). He retired with a line of 13-4-5-2, $1,265,258.
The Cliff’s Edge was a $200,000 Keeneland September yearling and a $195,000 RNA the following year at Fasig-Tipton
February. Out of Zigember (Danzig), he comes from the same family as Grade 1
winner Comedy Act (Shecky Greene).
The seven-year-old currently stands at Vinery Kentucky near
Lexington, Kentucky, for a fee of $10,000, live foal.