Carl Spackler uses Saranac as perfect springboard to Keeneland

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Chad Brown was looking for the perfect bridge to get Carl Spackler from his impressive victory early in the Saratoga meet in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame Stakes to his next major goal, the Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland on Oct. 7. He found it Friday in the $175,000 Saranac, Carl Spackler drawing off like a 1-5 shot should to a 3 1/2-length victory over a game but overmatched Taking Candy in the Grade 3 stakes for 3-year-olds on the turf.

With Tyler Gaffalione aboard, Carl Spackler stalked the pace of Taking Candy in a race decided over a course officially listed as good but which was upgraded to firm immediately after the race. Carl Spackler had the leader in his radar while confidently handled throughout, seizing control approaching the furlong marker of the 1 1/16-mile race before drawing away readily while under hand urging to the wire.

Taking Candy took control from his inside post shortly after the start but proved no match for the winner down the stretch, weakening through the late stages but with enough left to hold off Lost Ark for second. Mendelssohns March and Yacowlef rounded out the complete order of finish while never seriously factoring at any point.

The win was the third in five career starts for the Irish-bred, who is owned by 3 Five Racing Thoroughbreds. Carl Spackler was timed in 1:42.23 seconds and paid $2.50.

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Brown admitted he had few anxious moments watching the race.

“Once we had a target, I felt pretty good,” said Brown. “I thought we would be on the lead, actually. These short fields can be tricky sometimes and I just said, ‘ride it loose and if you go to the lead, which I expect, fine. If someone really wants to go, it’s even better,’ and it worked out perfect.”

Brown said he was happy the course still had a bit of give to it at post time for the Saranac.

“This horse really seemed to love it last time,” said Brown. “I wasn’t really concerned on a firm turf, but I wasn’t in a hurry for it to dry out either.”

Brown said he choose to run Carl Spackler in the Saranac because he felt waiting eight weeks to the Coolmore Turf Mile might not have been ideal.

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“I gave him quite a break since the race at Churchill when he didn’t run that well and he was just doing so well out of the Hall of Fame win,” Brown explained. “Looking at what I wanted to do with him in October at Keeneland, I thought it might have been too big of a gap.

“The Coolmore Mile will be a tall order but I love a little cutback into a mile in a bigger field with some pace and he will get a little bit of a break in weight being a 3-year-old. As long as he’s healthy and doing well, that’s where we will run.”

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