Freaky Runhappy does it again
You are not supposed to break slow, from the rail, have your saddle slip in your first try against olders, including the defending sprint champion, bear out down the lane, and still dominate. Of course, Runhappy is not your average run of the mill stakes winner. He runs to the beat of his own drum. Validating a freakish winning performance in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop at Saratoga, the Maria Borell trained son of Super Saver did it again, running away with today’s $250,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix on a sloppy main track during opening day at Keeneland.
Sent off as the 7-5 favorite in the field of eleven, Runhappy broke just a bit tardy under veteran rider, Edgar Prado. Happily for his many supporters, no horse came in towards the rail, allowing the big talent to get his feet under him and swiftly move up on inside.
“He broke a step slow,” said Prado. “I had to get him running out of the gate (from the) inside (post 1), sloppy track, a lot of speed in the race. I had to get in position and let him do his thing.”
Before the strong field of sprinters was a quarter mile into the race, Runhappy was on the lead and gobbling up the wet racing surface. Among those not letting him get too far ahead was the clear second choice, Work All Week, who was moving well from his far outside post position.
Runhappy took the field into the far turn through a blistering quarter in :21.52, with Work All Week his closest competition to his outside. The half went in :44.81, as Runhappy moved off the rail heading into the Keeneland stretch. Work All Week was forced a bit wide, while longshot Gentlemen’s Bet moved up through the wide open inside. It briefly appeared that both of them had a shot at the leader, as well as a few others making up ground from behind, but Runhappy just kept on motoring.
Despite drifting out several paths in the final furlong, the James McInvale owned star proved the best by 1 3/4 lengths in the same race that produced last year’s winner of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
His young trainer joked after the race, “I hope I haven’t peaked at 32,” in reference to her first big horse, and his second straight big win. Borell added, “He’s very talented. He’s an amazing horse. I’m so lucky and blessed to have him. Thank you so much, (owner) James McIngvale and (racing manager) Laura Wohlers. I’m so blessed.”
Barbados, who had made a solid rally from the turn, just edged out last year’s Eclipse Award winning sprinter, Work All Week, in a tight photo for second. The betting third choice, Holy Boss, got up for a non-threatening fourth.
Final time for the six furlongs over the sloppy going was 1:09.96. As the 7-5 choice, Runhappy returned $4.80 for the win, while the $2 exacta over Barbados returned $46.20
In winning his fourth consecutive race, Runhappy raised his career record to 6-5-0-0. He runs Lasix free, and is also now perfect in four starts since joining the Borell barn. But more than any of that, he proved once again that he is a unique talent. There were a variety of reasons for him to lose today in the Phoenix, but Runhappy proved too good to lose. He now heads to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in 29 days, as clearly one of the horses to beat in the $1.5 million big one.