Chummers doubles up on stakes wins in NYSSS Cab Calloway
Blue Bison Stable’s Chummers ran down A Little At First late to notch back-to-back stakes wins in Thursday’s $150,000 Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a one-mile inner turf event for eligible state-sired sophomores, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Ray Handal, Chummers has won his last three starts, beginning with a $55,000 claimer in June at Belmont at the Big A before taking the state-bred Rick Violette last out on July 24 here. Flavien Prat piloted Chummers for both victories but rode Jaxer in the Cab Calloway, with Dylan Davis picking up the mount and guiding the Combatant gelding to a well-timed victory.
“Dylan did a great job. I had a ton of faith in my guy, and he came through for me in a big way,” Handal said. “He listened to everything perfectly. This horse is a little quirky sometimes, he'll get down the backside and the first turn he'll try to find his place and then when he switches to his right lead he'll jump into the bridle. Flavien did a great job [previously] of letting him do his thing when they were going faster but I had a feeling today was going to be a little bit of a slower clip.
“So, I told Dylan, ‘just be ready for him. He'll act like he's getting his feet underneath him but once he switches to that right lead, he'll jump into the bridle on you.’ Dylan did a great job,” Handal added.
Chummers exited the inside post and settled into 5th-of-7 off the pace set by runaway leader Missionattheglen through the opening quarter-mile in 23.59 seconds over the firm turf.
“He did everything great and I just wanted to break the best I could from the one hole,” Davis said. “I didn’t think it was going to be a hot pace today. I saved ground on both turns, which was great, got him into the clear, and he responded well for me.”
Missionattheglen held a clear lead down the backside over stakes-winner Spirit of New York and the Hall of Famer Javier Castellano-piloted A Little At First, with Chummers and Wit Storm next as the half-mile went in 47.78.
Spirit of New York and A Little At First closed the gap to Missionattheglen approaching the second turn, with Chummers traveling along the rail in fourth position through three-quarters in 1:12.34.
“It’s tough because I don’t think he has a real good turn-of-foot, it’s kind of a momentum-building thing with him,” Davis said of timing his move. “I just really tried to ride him a touch earlier so he didn’t have too much to do, and in that last sixteenth, he showed he was the best.”
The favored A Little At First pushed past Missionattheglen nearing the eighth-pole as Davis tipped Chummers out for his run and Jaxer picked up steam from last. A Little At First held a 1 1/2-length advantage in upper stretch and led into the final sixteenth, but Chummers closed with a flurry to get his neck in front in a final time of 1:36.60.
Jaxer, who bobbled at the break and trailed the field, finished five lengths back in third, with Wit Storm completing the superfecta. Big Frosty, Missionattheglen and Spirit of New York completed the order of finish. Nessuna Pagina was scratched along with main track-only entrants Sunday Boy, Sculcos Folly and Sociably Johnny.
“I think dropping him into that claimer and getting that confidence boost into him has taken him to another level because he just believes,” said Handal, who also sent out the Davis-piloted Valtellina to win the prior race. “He's got a tenacity to win. He didn't have that before; he was very timid. He's just a completely different horse - maturing, great rides, really good staff. I have a lot of people that work hard with him to try and improve every single day and it's showing in the races."
Handal said possible next starts for Chummers include the open-company $200,000 Gio Ponti at one mile for 3-year-olds on September 7 here and the state-bred $200,000 Mohawk at nine furlongs on October 24 at Belmont Park.
"I might wheel him back in the Gio Ponti on Closing Day here. We've got a long time for the Mohawk in October. We'll see how he comes out of it. It's a little short rest, but I think he can do it,” said Handal, who also won the restricted Listed Saranac during this meet with Heeere’s Johnny.
Castellano said the Horacio De Paz-trained A Little At First improved from a 2 1/4-length third under Irad Ortiz, Jr. last out in the Rick Violette.
“My horse ran and showed up today, was where he was supposed to be, and I’m satisfied with the way he did it,” Castellano said. “I just followed Jose [Ortiz, aboard Spirit of New York] and thought that was the right horse to follow… It was the right direction to go, we just got beat by the better horse.”
Chummers, bred in New York by Levings Racing, sold for $6,000 at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale and is out of the unraced Colonel John mare Giant Bird, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Mucho Gusto. He banked $82,500 in victory while improving his record to 11-4-1-0 and returning $8.52 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes Friday at Saratoga with a 10-race card, featuring the state-bred $200,000 Fleet Indian in Race 9. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
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