Trophy Chaser carves a two-turn niche ahead of Oaklawn Handicap

After 11 career starts, trainer Juan Carlos Avila said he’s figured out that Trophy Chaser’s best races are routes. The 4-year-old son of Twirling Candy will get another chance to shine around two turns in Saturday's Grade 2, $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap for older horses at 1 1/8 miles.

“I made a mistake for six months,” said Avila, who also owns Trophy Chaser. “I ran him six furlongs, six furlongs, six furlongs.”

After running third, fourth and fourth in those races, including the Gallant Bob Stakes (G2) Sept. 21 at Parx, Trophy Chaser is 2-for-2 this year in his return to routes. Trophy Chaser was an 8 ¼-length allowance winner at 1 1/8 miles Feb. 2 at Gulfstream Park and won the 1 1/16-mile Challenger Stakes (G3) by a neck March 7 at Tampa Bay Downs.

Trophy Chaser hadn’t routed since finishing second, beaten a neck, in the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man Stakes in January 2019 at Gulfstream Park. The one-mile race around one turn marked his 3-year-old debut.

“He had a little problem and went to the farm for three months,” Avila said. “When he came back, I put him in a seven-furlong race. Very nice; 96 Beyer number. I am crazy, so I go to six furlongs, six furlongs. Third place, third place.

"I said, ‘Go to the long distance.’ He ran two big races. No more six-furlong races.”

Avila said Trophy Chaser was shipped to Oaklawn after the $1 million Charles Town Classic (G2) on April 18 at Charles Town was postponed.

“The horse is running well,” Avila said.

Trophy Chaser and stablemate King Guillermo will represent the first local starters for the Florida-based Avila, who amassed roughly 3,000 victories in his native Venezuela before saddling his first United States winner in March 2018. King Guillermo, who exits a victory in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2), is entered in for the split Arkansas Derby (G1) May 2.