Janet Garaguso Photo

Post-time favorite Carl Spackler par for the course in G3 Kelso

by Mary Eddy

e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ Carl Spackler showed his affinity for Saratoga Race Course once again when claiming victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Kelso, a one-mile inner turf test for older horses, to kick off graded stakes action at the Spa meet.

Trained by four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, Carl Spackler improved from his only loss at the Spa last out when an even fifth in the Grade 3 Poker on Belmont Stakes weekend, adding to two high-profile wins last summer here in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame and Grade 3 Saranac to close out his sophomore campaign. He notched his second win this year after taking the Listed Opening Verse by a head on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

Brown said he was pleased to see Carl Spackler rebound from the Poker.

“In the last race, in hindsight, maybe he bounced a little bit off the Churchill race. He had a challenging trip in there and was able to gut it out off a long layoff,” said Brown. “I didn't really react to the [Poker] result. I just got him back to his normal training routine and he redeemed himself today.”

Guided to victory by regular pilot Tyler Gaffalione, who swept the early double at the Spa, Carl Spackler emerged from the outermost post 4 in the compact field as Call Me Harry broke sharply from the inside post and led the field past the wire for the first time. The Irad Ortiz, Jr.-piloted Talk of the Nation traveled alongside Call Me Harry and took command with a two-wide move in the first turn through the opening quarter-mile in 24.47 seconds over the firm footing.

Carl Spackler was in third heading into the backstretch, but a heads-up move form Gaffalione saw him take up second position behind the tepid fractions set by Talk of the Nation, who reached the half-mile in 48.92.

Brown praised the decision by Gaffalione to move up closer to the pace.

“Tyler rode a beautiful race. I know it's only a four-horse field, but it was a little tricky into that first turn to figure out where he's going to be,” said Brown. “When the one [Call Me Harry] took back, he had to call an audible and it was a winning move, for sure.”

The trailing Northern Invader was coaxed into third approaching the final turn, but Talk of the Nation and Carl Spackler drew further from their two rivals with every stride to reach the stretch call four lengths in front.

A stubborn Talk of the Nation dug in gamely on the inside after three-quarters in 1:12.18 and refused to yield to the loaded Carl Spackler, but the latter proved too much in the end and wore down the Todd Pletcher trainee in the final sixteenth to inch clear to a half-length score in a final time of 1:34.72.

Talk of the Nation finished 3 3/4 lengths ahead of Northern Invader with Call Me Harry completing the order of finish. Mysterious Night and main track-only entrant Repo Rocks were scratched.

Gaffalione, aboard for the colt’s last four outings, said Carl Spackler was adaptable when asked.

"The pace did not really develop the way I thought it would. We found ourselves a little bit closer, but he was there comfortably,” Gaffalione said. “When I called upon him in the top of the stretch he finished the job well. All the credit goes to Chad and his team - they had him ready to fire today.”

Brown said it is likely the talented son of Lope de Vega will look to the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap on August 10 here, a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile in November at Del Mar.

“Probably. We'll just see how he bounces out of it and go from there,” said Brown. “I think he had a hard race at Churchill and he reacted a little bit to it, so let me just try to observe him a little bit, but that would be the hope.”

Bred in Ireland by Fifth Avenue Bloodstock, Carl Spackler was purchased for just shy of $500,000 from Book 1 of the 2021 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. He banked $96,250 in victory while returning $3.50 on a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card, featuring the Grade 3, $175,000 Quick Call presented by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation in Race 9. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

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