Horseracing is in the spotlight in April and May and South Carolina training center grads found the winner's circle following stakes races from the East Coast to the West Coast and up into Canada.
On April 22,
Spa Creek, a graduate of Shuler Stables in Orangeburg, SC came from only having one horse beat early on to begin to circle the field in the turn and got up to win the Original Gold Stakes at Charles Town by a half-length.
Just a few hours later,
Slip the Cable, also a Shuler Stables grad, captured the Confucius Say Stakes at Charles Town. He broke on top and never looked back crossing the finish line 3 ½ lengths in front.
Also on April 22 at Laurel Park,
Absatootly was best in the Primonetta Stakes. Prepared for her racing career by Donna Freyer at her Custom Care facility,
Absatootly stalked the leaders while four wide before taking command at the 1/8 pole and drawing clear to win by 1 ¼ lengths.
Party Boat was the victor in the Memories of Silver Stakes at Aqueduct on April 23. Third for the first ¾'s of a mile,
Party Boat joined the leader inside the 1/8'th pole and went head and head to the finish line. She drew clear in the shadow of the wire.
Party Boat learned her early lessons under the direction of Travis Durr and Webb Carroll at the Webb Carroll Training Center in St. Mathews, SC.
It was a gold star day for the Webb Carroll Training Center on May 5 as
Abel Tasman hit the wire first in the Grade I Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. It is a great honor to earn a spot in the starting gate for this three-year-old filly classic and an "over the moon" experience for all the connections to win it!
Abel Tasman was dead last early on. Over 16 lengths behind the leader after a ½ mile, this filly then launched her bid coming six wide around the turn before making the lead inside the 3/16's pole and surging home a 1 ¼ length winner.
On May 6, Kentucky Derby Day,
Arklow, in a hard fought, courageous effort, came home on top in the Grade II American Turf Stakes.
Arklow was prepared for his racing career at the Elloree Training Center of Franklin "Goree" Smith. Seventh early on,
Arklow gradually improved his position hitting the front in deep stretch and winning by a length
Someday Soon proved best in the Tomboy Stakes at Balterra Park in Ohio on May 14. Travis Durr's Webb Carroll Training Center orchestrated
Someday Soon's breaking process. The filly was second for the first ½ mile before taking command and controlling the race to the wire in the stretch run.
Modern, who learned his early lessons from Tim Jones, head of the Darley operation in Aiken, went wire-to-wire in the George Royal Stakes at Hastings Park in Canada also on May 14. This was
Modern's 9th win and 20th top 3 finish in 28 career starts.
On May 19, Black-Eyed Susan Day at Pimlico,
Happy Mesa put a smile on many faces when she came from over 16 lengths back to finish first in the Hilltop Stakes at Pimlico.
Happy Mesa saved ground on the inside before swinging out five wide into the stretch and gaining control inside the sixteenth pole and crossing the line a length in front of the rest.
Happy Mesa is a product of Goree Smith's breaking program.
South Carolina SCTOBA Board member Cary Frommer was recently elected President of the Aiken Training Track succeeding Brad Stauffer. Stauffer has passed the baton in order to give his full devotion to his Legacy Stable operation.
Tapwrit and
Irish War Cry, the one-two finishers in the Belmont Stakes on June 10. Jack and Travis were at the track and ran into each other just before the horses loaded into the gate.
Irish War Cry ran a valiant race setting the pace into the deep stretch. He was broke as a yearling by Travis and Webb at the Webb Carroll Training Center. Both of these colts had troubled trips in the Kentucky Derby. Trainers Todd Pletcher and Graham Motion put the five weeks between races to good use and had the horses in peak condition to cover the 1 ½ miles of the Belmont. Graham Motion was the guest speaker at the annual awards banquet in January.
