Twilight Eclipse Enduring Star of Albertrani's Barn
Since the summer of his 2-year-old year, West Point Thoroughbreds' Twilight Eclipse has been the enduring star of trainer Tom Albertrani's barn. Now 6, the Purim gelding will make his 28th career start in Saturday's Grade 1, $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.
Albertrani has seen no decline in form of Twilight Eclipse, the world record-holder at the Turf Classic's 1 ½-mile distance, established in the 2013 Grade 2 Pan American at Gulfstream Park.
"I don't think there's been any change in him. He might be better this year than he was even last year, who knows," Albertrani said. "I think another year ahead, why not? He could still be a pretty nice horse."
Purchased for $1,000 at Keeneland's horses of all ages sale in January 2010, Twilight Eclipse has gone on to finish in the top three in 18 of 27 lifetime starts with seven wins and more than $1.7 million in purse earnings.
Fifth in the 2013 Turf Classic and second by a neck to multiple Eclipse Award winner Main Sequence last year, Twilight Eclipse has been worse than third only three times in his last 14 starts since finishing 12th in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic in March 2014.
He returned from the Middle East with seven straight graded stakes placings, including his first Grade 1 victory in the May 9 Man o' War at Belmont Park.
"He's just been a great horse to have around. He always manages to be in the frame," Albertrani said. "Even after his trip to Dubai, where most horses might be a little depressed from the long trip, this horse came back from that trip in a matter of weeks. He rebounded so well. He's just that kind of horse. Races don't take a lot out of him."
Twilight Eclipse enters the Turf Classic off successive show finishes in the Grade 1 United Nations July 5 at Monmouth Park and the Grade 1 Sword Dancer August 29 at Saratoga Race Course. In between, Albertrani skipped Saratoga's Grade 2 Bowling Green Handicap August 1.
"It's just business as usual with him. He comes out of his races so well, it's just a matter of maintenance in between," Albertrani said. "That's what we did between the U.N. and the Sword Dancer. We thought we'd keep him a little fresher. We had the option of going in the Bowling Green, but said he's been running so well and it probably wouldn't hurt to give him a little time off. We just decided to give him a little break. I don't see why he wouldn't be as strong next year. As long as he's healthy, absolutely."
Already having nearly doubled his purchase price, Matthew Schera's Perfect Title goes after his first graded stakes victory in the 1 ½-mile, Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.
Sold for $50,000 out of Fasig-Tipton Kentucky's winter mixed sale in February, the 5-year-old son of Perfect Soul was acquired to run long on the grass. His trainer, Fair Hill (Md.) Training Center-based James L. "Chuck" Lawrence is a former jockey who won the Grade 1 New York Turf Writers Cup steeplechase twice, in 1987 and 1993.
"We bought him with the mindset that we thought he was going to do well on the turf and going a mile and three-eighths, a mile and a half. With his form, we thought he was screaming for that," Lawrence said. "I hate to talk about it, but the horse has just gotten better and better and better with each race and each work."
Perfect Title has run four times for his new connections, who gave him 4 ½ months off before a pair of runner-up finishes in off-the-turf allowances at Delaware Park. This summer, he won back-to-back grass starts at Saratoga Race Course 15 days apart, each under jockey Kendrick Carmouche: a 1 1/16-mile event for a $50,000 tag, and an optional claiming allowance going 1 3/16 miles. To date, he has earned $99,000 for his new connections.
"We were surprised when he won the $50,000 race. I thought he was good enough, but we think it's almost too short for him. He came in and won the second start fairly easily, and Kendrick said he had plenty of horse," Lawrence said.
"When we got him he really needed the time off, and he seemed to thrive from that and from the training center life, being able to train out back. He seemed to really do well over the synthetic track," he added. "He's really come around, developmental-wise and soundness-wise. Hopefully, we get lucky. We're taking a shot, but the horse racing game is a funny game. You can't win it if you're not in it."
Perfect Title was seventh in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on dirt at Saratoga in 2013 in his only previous graded stakes attempt. His late-running style is reminiscent of the Lawrence-trained Great Dancer, who finished fourth by 1 ¼ lengths at 9-1 in the Grade 2 Commonwealth Derby, beaten two heads for second, last weekend at Laurel Park.
"Turf racing is all about the pace, all about the trip. We should have been second or won a Grade 2 at Laurel. We had a little bit of trouble, a slow pace, and a closer," Lawrence said. "We almost got there but it's all about the trip and the pace and I think it's going to have to set up well for him. If it comes down to a sprint at the end, from his past two races you would think he would fit with the best of them according to his finishing time. We'll see."
Source: NYRA Communications