Chasing the Crown wins Tight Spot Handicap for second straight year
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Chasing the Crown runs well fresh, Chasing the Crown runs well at Kentucky Downs, and on Saturday, making his first start since June 27, Chasing the Crown ran down loose leader Maycocks Bay to win the $504,325 Tight Spot Handicap for the second year in a row.
Maycocks Bay, who rocketed to the lead and set a strong pace, held well for place, one length ahead of Silent Heart, who tracked from second most of the way and finished third, three-quarters of a length ahead of Herchee. Lagynos, the 4-5 favorite came up empty in the homestretch and finished fifth, 2 1/2 lengths behind Herchee.
Chasing the Crown has been kept in good form through this, his 7-year-old season, by Mike Maker, who trains the horse for Paradise Farms, David Staudacher, and Angelo Carlesimo. Ben Curtis gave Chasing the Crown a good, ground-saving, well-timed ride, closing stoutly through the final furlong and a half, hitting the front in the final half-furlong, and drawing clear to win by 1 1/2 lengths.
Chasing the Crown at his peak hits a high mark as a middle-distance turf horse. Two Januarys ago he finished third in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf. He then went to the bench until August, when he fired fresh and captured last year’s renewal of the Tight Spot.
On April 30 at Churchill Downs, Chasing the Crown lost a head bob to Lagynos in the Opening Verse Stakes, and after a tame eighth in the Wise Dan on June 27, Maker took a step back and pointed to Kentucky Downs, where Chasing the Crown now has a record of 4-2-1-0.
Chasing the Crown carried 119 pounds, getting six pounds from topweighted Lagynos and one from Maycocks Bay. No matter, Chasing the Crown was the heavy hitter on Saturday in the Tight Spot.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.