There were three significant differences between the Shadwell Turf
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Karelian’s front-running target was Pictural (El Prado [Ire]), Court Vision’s
stablemate from the Rick Dutrow barn and fellow IEAH colorbearer. As Pictural
loped along unchallenged through splits of :24 1/5 and :47 1/5, Karelian was
well placed in a stalking second. Cherokee Artist (Cherokee Run) made a middle
move to apply pressure nearing the final turn, but his effort was short-lived.
Instead, it was Karelian who disposed of Pictural, roaring to the front on
the far turn and rattling off six furlongs in 1:10 4/5. The late-running Court
Vision was already on the march, however, and as he rallied to join Karelian,
the stretch run of the Maker’s Mark looked like it might re-enact the Shadwell.
Karelian put paid to those kinds of thoughts right away. Turning back Court
Vision’s threatening bid, Karelian surged clear to return $7.60, $3.20 and
$2.80.
“He hadn’t been out in 11 months last year (prior to the Shadwell Turf Mile),
and he ran fabulous,” said Arnold, who picked up his 10th graded stakes victory
at Keeneland and third Grade 1 win at the track. “He’s a little better horse
this year.
“Actually, he’s won more races from off the lead,” Arnold added. “We love the
rabbit; he likes a target, and it keeps his interest up. He’s made the lead a
little too easy (in several other races), so I think it helped us today.”
Court Vision, who was making his first start since foot trouble ruled him out
of last month’s Frank E. Kilroe Mile H. (G1), gave back $2.60 and $2.20.
Society’s Chairman (Not Impossible [Ire]) closed to take third, another 1 1/2
lengths back, and paid $3.20 at 5-1. The exotics were worth $18.80 (exacta),
$75.60 (trifecta) and $361 (5-6-2-4 superfecta) with Wesley (El Prado [Ire]) in
fourth. Passager (Fr) (Anabaa), a close runner-up in last year’s Maker’s Mark,
could not duplicate that performance in his comeback and settled for fifth.
Rogue Victory (Victory Gallop), Cherokee Artist and Pictural completed the order
of finish.
With this first Grade 1 coup to his credit, Karelian sports a mark of
21-10-3-1, $738,675. The veteran gelding dead-heated for the win in the 2008
River City H. (G3), and earlier that season, he had captured the Sea O Erin H.
Sidelined for almost 11 months after his River City victory, Karelian did not
return until the Shadwell Turf Mile and ran an heroic race in defeat. The
blaze-faced bay concluded 2009 with a sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) and
an eighth in a strangely-run renewal of the River City, where he bolted to the
outside on the backstretch. After a nearly three-month freshening, Karelian
resurfaced to deny Gio Ponti in a stirring stretch drive at Tampa.
The Kentucky-bred is out of the Theatrical (Ire) mare Leaning Tower, who is a
half-sister to Canadian champion older male Basqueian (Bounding Basque), winner
of the 1994 Queen’s Plate S. and Breeders’ S. Karelian has a juvenile
half-sister named Gem Mint (Johar) and an unnamed yearling half-brother by
Indian Charlie.