Patch misses the board for Sisterson in 5-year-old debut
Making his 5-year-old debut and first start for trainer Jack Sisterson, fan favorite Patch missed the board Saturday in a $50,000 allowance optional claiming race at Arlington Park.
7-year-old Eckersley, a Christopher Davis trainee, put down a winning time of 1:35.67 over a mile on Arlington’s turf. He paid $21.80 to win, followed by Don’task Don’ttell and Cuestion de Tiempo.
Patch broke from the No. 10 post and sat far off the pace through fractions of :23.81, :48.02 and 1:11.98. Under jockey Adam Beschizza, he never moved up to challenge the leaders and finished eighth in a 10-horse field.
The one-eyed Patch is a son of Union Rags and a Calumet Farms homebred. He ran 14th in the 2017 Kentucky Derby for former trainer Todd Pletcher, then scored a third-place finish in the 2017 Belmont Stakes.
Patch’s start Saturday was his first since an allowance optional claiming race last November at Churchill Downs and first under conditioner Sisterson’s care.