Shackleford swings back in winning form in the Churchill Downs Stakes at Churchill Downs on 5th May
After staying under an unfortunate spell of missing the last seven races that Forestry’s four-year-old colt out of mare, Oatsee, took part in, he gripped the attention of many by bagging the Churchill Downs Stakes.
Dale L. Romans’ under charge Shackleford won the Grade 2, $400,000 Churchill Downs Stakes on Saturday, 5th May over seven furlongs.
Early on the turn, Shackleford riding with Jesus Castanon matched his pace with the leading Amazombie and ever since then the two led the race and refused to get sucked back into the riding cluster that was following in close pursuit initially.
The two displayed their racing tactics with Grade 1 Preakness winner, Shackleford, challenging from the inside and Mike Smith’s mount, Amazombie, trying to make an all out racing on the outside.
Refusing to slow down, wear out or compromise on the closing in finishing line, the four-year-old finally became the only leader of the track by the sixteenth pole. Michael Lauffer’s colt timed the distance in a minute and :21.06 seconds while leading by a length.
"When I asked him to pick it up, he was game," Castanon said. "The horse on the outside gave came up to me and my horse just charged back. ‘Shack' is back."
Amazombie and Gantry finished second and third.
"He deserved a big win, and he's a special horse," said trainer Dale Romans. "He's run so hard all the time, I feel bad for him. He deserved to win some of those races. I threw him in nine Grade 1s, and he ran for me every time, but today was the old ‘Shack.' "
He has given the reason for connections to celebrate a victory after a very long time and have done them proud. His impressive delivery was almost as if he was back at the race course to avenge the second position that he had to come at terms with when he last raced at Churchill Downs in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on 5th November, 2011. The race was won by Caleb’s Posse.
His possibilities for the very near future include the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on 28th May and then the Grade 1 Forego Stakes on 1st September.
The connections are ecstatic about the pleasant turn of fate with their horse.
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