Special Reserve scores as the favorite in Phoenix, earns BC bid

Lexington, Ky.
Mike Maker is a man of few words. Polite, but matter of fact. His assessment of Special Reserve (6-5) after he held on Friday for a neck victory in the Grade 2, $250,000 Phoenix Stakes was characteristically brief. And accurate.

“He makes a fabulous first impression,” Maker said.

It was not so much that he won the six-furlong dash at Keeneland and, with it, a spot next month in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. It was how the 5-year-old repelled six rivals.

“He sat very well behind there on the backstretch, very relaxed,” winning jockey Joel Rosario said. “I was able to get the horse back up a little bit in the turn, and then he did the rest.”

Special Reserve first put away early pacesetter Quick Tempo (27-1), who would fade to last. Then on the backstretch, he fended off Just Might (8-1), who finished next to last. Mucho (13-1), who finished third, tried to mount a threat in the turn for home, but he was no match. Finally, Aloha West (8-5) made a late charge only to come up short.

The winning time was 1:08.54 on the fast main track. The early fractions were 21.90, 44.69 and 56.32 seconds.

“He tries hard,” Rosario said. “He’s a very talented horse. Very speedy.”

So the Midshipman gelding that Peter Proscia and David Staudacher claimed for $40,000 last winter has done his part to fulfill the plan Maker had for him this year.

“He had a bit of a bleeding issue that we addressed when we got him,” Maker said. “He responded well, and thankfully, he’s been able to show his talent.”

Since the claim and his move from former trainer Randy Morse, Special Reserve has made six starts, winning four times and finishing second twice, including a close, runner-up finish to 34-1 Lexitonian last out in the July 31 running of the Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) at Saratoga.

“Rarely in this business does a plan go the way you want it,” Maker said, “We’ve been planning for this since the summer, and the only hitch we had was at Saratoga.”

And there was the way Friday’s race went, too.

“I expected he would be laying third or fourth,” Maker said. “But he broke sharp. Joel took advantage of it, and turning for home he looked very impressive.”

Not so impressive that he was going to win by open lengths. Maker said that is not in Special Reserve’s DNA.

“He’s a little type of horse that keeps his mind busy,” Maker said. “He’s not going to win by a whole lot.”

But it still counts, and it is still worth a trip to California next month.