Chick Lang: Ryvit wins fourth straight; race marred by breakdown of Havnameltdown
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BALTIMORE - In a race marred by the fatal breakdown of favored Havnameltdown, Ryvit won his fourth consecutive race, taking the Grade 3, $200,000 Chick Lang Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters by 1 3/4 lengths on Saturday at Pimlico.
Havnameltdown broke slow in the six-furlong race, but rushed up to join Ryvit, the pair a head apart through a quarter-mile in 22.23 seconds. On the far turn, Havnameltdown went wrong, unseating Saez who hit the ground hard.
Saez was removed from the track on a stretcher and was transported to a local hospital. Saez was complaining of leg pain, but X-rays were negative and Saez told his agent, Kiaran McLaughlin, he wants to ride Sunday at Churchill Downs, where he is named on five horses.
After the incident, Ryvit found himself alone on the lead, three lengths in front, and he held a late-running Prince of Jericho at bay for the victory. Prince of Jericho finished four lengths clear of Frosted Departure.
According to Dr. Scott Hay, an on-call veterinarian for the Maryland Jockey Club “Havnameltdown sustained a severe injury to his left front ankle to the extent where they didn’t feel like it was appropriate to transport him and they euthanized him immediately,” Hay said.
Havnameltdown, a three-time graded stakes-winning son of Uncaptured, is trained by Bob Baffert who was scheduled to run National Treasure in the Preakness later on the card and who earlier on the card won the $100,000 Sir Barton Stakes for 3-year-olds with Arabian Lion.
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Havnameltdown’s fatality comes two weeks after two horses suffered fatal injuries on the undercard of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, during a 10-day period in which there were seven equine fatalities at Churchill.
Meanwhile, Ryvit appears to be developing into the latest upper tier 3-year-old sprinter for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, who won his sixth Chick Lang.
Ryvit, a son of Competitive Edge, won for the fourth consecutive time, all since the addition of blinkers. The previous three wins came with jockey Keith Asmussen, Steve’s son, in the saddle. Keith Asmussen was scheduled to ride Ryvit Saturday, but he suffered a broken index finger on his left hand in a gate mishap earlier this week.
Tyler Gaffalione picked up the mount and said his horse broke so good that he let him place himself forward in the race.
“My horse broke alertly, I didn’t want to take anything away,” Gaffalione said. “I feel terrible Keith wasn’t able to ride him; he’s a great young kid and an up-and-coming rider. He’ll get plenty of those.”
Ryvitt covered six furlongs in 1:09.33 and returned $12.80 as the third choice. He was given a 93 Beyer Speed Figure.
“He’s a very nice horse, proud of the fact that he came out of the Texas yearling sale and that he can compete and win at this level,” said Asmussen, who trains Ryvit for William and Corinne Heiligbrodt. “It’s unfortunate that Keith broke his finger on Thursday. I’m proud of him making the decision of putting the horse in front of himself. That says a lot and proves who he is.”
Asmussen credited his son for working with the horse in the morning to get him to break better from the gate. Ryvit had lost his first three starts.
“Keith working him in the mornings and getting him to break is what turned him around,” Asmussen said. “I [told] Tyler if you can get him to jump well from the gates, you’ll like how he responds and that’s what he did.”
Asmussen said he would likely point Ryvit to a race at Churchill followed by the Grade 2 Amsterdam at Saratoga on July 28.
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