Chummers steps up for gutsy stakes win in $200K Rick Violette
Blue Bison Stable’s Chummers scored a breakthrough victory on Friday at Saratoga Race Course, digging in through the stretch to fend off Caroline St. Beat in the $200,000 Rick Violette, a 1 1/16-mile Mellon turf route for New York-bred sophomores.
The Rick Violette is named for the late trainer and NYTHA President who spearheaded the creation of the TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program and TAKE THE LEAD Retirement Program, and is run on this card to coincide with Saratoga’s annual New York Thoroughbred Aftercare Day.
Trained by Ray Handal, the dark bay son of late New York sire Combatant was a 3 3/4-length winner of a 1 1/16-mile $55,000 claiming event last out on June 19 at Belmont at the Big A, and was making his third attempt in stakes company. He is now 2-for-3 at this distance, and improved his lifetime record to 10-3-1-0.
"He's got some fight to him now,” Handal said. “He's really getting really good right now. I guess we got lucky to sneak one by last time. I was kind of praying somebody would have claimed him [in his prior start], I'm not going to lie. It's just funny how life works out. He won that race, probably got the confidence that he needed, and he's getting better and better. He's been changing my opinion about him every time he runs. He showed a lot of grit and fight today. Since we castrated him [in the winter], mentally he's gotten better every race, and he took a big step forward today."
In the Rick Violette, the pair of Spirit of New York and Voodoo Doll broke sharply from the two inside posts, and zipped up the rail and ran off together before Voodoo Doll asserted himself and marked the opening quarter-mile in 22.41 seconds over the firm footing.
Chummers was next-to-last just ahead of Caroline St. Beat down the backstretch as Voodoo Doll skipped through the half-mile in 46.86. The field grew closer to Voodoo Doll heading into the far turn and Spirit of New York quickly rushed up to vie for command as three-quarters elapsed in 1:11.37. The favored A Little At First was right on the flank of Spirit of New York and Chummers followed his run for both rivals to loom large at the top of the lane while Caroline St. Beat was forced to go well wide in pursuit.
The field straightened for home and it was four across the track before A Little At First wore down Spirit of New York and Chummers edged past. The Manny Franco-piloted Caroline St. Beat was giving game chase down the center of the course and Chummers responded to the inside of his new challenger, the two pulling away and exchanging some bumps through the final sixteenth before Chummers got his neck down first in a final time of 1:40.61.
It was another two lengths back to A Little At First in third with Newlyn completing the superfecta. Spirit of New York, Manor Park and Voodoo Doll rounded out the order of finish. Main track-only entrants Sunday Boy, Minorinconvenience and Max Money were scratched.
Franco asked to hold the race and subsequently spoke on the phone with the stewards. No objection was lodged by Franco and the stewards, in their usual process of reviewing the race, found no reason to hang the inquiry sign as the minimal contact was mutual.
Prat, who was also aboard Chummers for the claiming victory, said the late challenge from Caroline St. Beat emboldened his charge.
“I got a good trip. I thought it was a good setup,” Prat said. “Thought that the pace was good. He made a good run. He was very game. As soon as he felt that horse coming at him, he re-engaged. So, that was a good run."
Handal, who captured his second stakes win of the meet after winning the Listed Saranac with Heeere’s Johnny on July 3, said Chummers touted himself in a half-mile breeze in 48.85 seconds on July 17 over the Spa’s Oklahoma turf training track.
“He had a monster work last week. I guess he showed up today with it,” Handal said. “What a great ride by Flavien. I was a little worried that he was going to get caught wide through that final turn, but he did all the right things, saved enough ground, and had enough punch at the end. I thought [Caroline St. Beat] was going to go by, to be honest. I was like, 'You know what? We're definitely going to run second,' and at the sixteenth pole, I'm like, 'C'mon! Get in in there!' He dug in, Flavien never gave up on him, he rode him all the way through, and it worked out.”
Bred by Levings Racing, Chummers 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 $110,000 in victory while returning $16.40 on a $2 win ticket.
Live racing resumes Saturday at Saratoga with a 12-race card featuring the Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks in Race 10 and the Grade 2, $400,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt in Race 9. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.
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