Alpyland cruises to victory in Penn Mile
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Alpyland made short work of four rivals in the Grade 3 Penn Mile on Friday at Penn National, running off at will to earn his first graded stakes victory by four lengths. The 3-year-old colt has now won three stakes ahead of what should be an exciting summer for trainer Mark Casse.
“He’s funny,” Casse said. “I’ve seen him give us these okay efforts, and then I’ve seen run like tonight. He’s done that once or twice. I really don’t know when it’s coming, but he was powerful.”
Casse’s reference to Alpyland’s slight inconsistencies can be found in his past performances, as he has won every other start since entering stakes company on Jan. 1. He began by winning the $150,000 Dania Beach at Gulfstream Park, came up short in the $150,000 Kitten’s Joy, and then ran off at Tampa Bay Downs to win the $100,000 Columbia.
Last time out, he finished fourth in the Grade 1 American Turf at Churchill Downs, 2 1/4 lengths behind Honey Dutch, but at Penn National, he finished nearly five lengths clear of that rival. He remains undefeated in four starts at a mile.
“He settled nice and when Javier [Castellano] said go, he just pounced,” Casse said. Honey Dutch “beat us at Churchill pretty solidly, so for us to run by him the way we did, it was pretty impressive.”
Teddy’s Rocket and Baytown Dreamer scratched, leaving five 3-year-olds in the mile turf race. Even after watching Alpyland’s convincing win, trainer Miguel Clement still expressed dismay over having to bow out with Teddy’s Rocket because of a “minor foot issue.” He said he could have taken second and even might have been able to win the race, such was his confidence in his colt in the days leading up to the race.
The remaining three contenders, Honey Dutch, Alpyland, and Immortalised all stalked in the early going behind Bonsai Warrior, an 84-1 longshot who had long been pegged as the likely pacesetter. He completed the opening quarter-mile in 23.28 seconds and half-mile in 47.80 before bowing out.
Honey Dutch and jockey Tyler Gaffalione had the first shot at the lead from second, but as soon as the Whit Beckman trainee moved into command, Alpyland came flying from his outside to challenge from third. The pair seemed to be working their way to a stretch duel, but no such confrontation materialized.
As soon as Castellano, who won two stakes on the card, asked Alpyland to make his move, he took off, bumping Honey Dutch on his way past and leaving that rival reeling on the rail. Immortalised never had a chance while firing from fourth.
With an authoritative flourish, Alpyland drew off with ease in the final furlong, completing the mile in 1:34.17. He paid $6.20 to win.
Casse did not specify a next start for his colt, though he noted that he did not feel the need to “hide from anybody.” Already a graded stakes winner early in his 3-year-old campaign, there will be few limitations on him moving forward.
Immortalised, winner of the $150,000 Cutler Bay at Gulfstream last time out, managed to rally past Honey Dutch to take second by three-quarters of a length, but he never had much of a winning chance for trainer Brendan Walsh.
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