Code West seeks to defend title in Governor’s Cup
Code West, the defending race winner in the $175,000 Governor’s Cup, and Texas Air, who reached a pinnacle in May by winning the Grade 3 Texas Mile, both might have to catch Ecleto Red to have success in Saturday night’s edition of Remington Park’s premier race for older horses. The Governor’s Cup is one of the first stakes of the meet and shares a card with the $75,000 David M. Vance Sprint that has brought together Ivan Fallunovalot and Delaunay.
Code West stalked and pounced in last year’s Governor’s Cup, a 1 1/8-mile race he won by a half-length. Texas Air, meanwhile, used a powerful closing kick to become a graded stakes winner in the Texas Mile. The horses are part of a field of 11, and there is a chance that all could be chasing Ecleto Red, a winner of three of his last four starts who has a chance to steal away.
“He’s got a lot of speed,” said trainer Lynn Chleborad. “That’s his running style.”
KEY CONTENDERS
GOVERNOR’S CUP (RACE 8)
Ecleto Red (Last 3 Beyers: 95-98-90)
◗ He wired the field in the $49,000 Prairie Meadows Handicap on July 25, his first stakes win. It came after a bold second to Golden Lad in the Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap. Ecleto Red was beaten 1 1/2 lengths at 31-1 in the June 27 race at Prairie Meadows.
“He had the lead, and we were almost at the end; I thought he was going to pull it off,” Chleborad said. “He kept gutting it out and gutting it out. He ran a great race.”
◗ Ecleto Red is in the midst of his best year, as he has won 5 of 9 starts.
“He likes his job,” said Chleborad, who trains the horse for Glynn Puryear Jr. and Jack Crews. “A 5-year-old year can be a good year for a horse. I think it’s just like a mature athlete. A horse that’s 5, 6, if they’re sound, they can have the best years of their life.”
◗ Alex Birzer has the mount from post 10.
Texas Air (Last 3 Beyers: 86-74-92)
◗ He is returning to open company after finishing second by a half-length in the $50,000 Assault on July 11 at Lone Star. Texas Air closed strongly in the one-mile race and will get more ground Saturday.
◗ Quincy Hamilton has the mount for owner and breeder Paul Rigali Jr. and trainer Allen Milligan.
Code West (Last 3 Beyers: 88-99-89)
◗ He’s a fresh horse making his first start since February, when he ran sixth to Golden Lad in the $100,000 Essex Handicap at Oaklawn. Prior to that race, Code West was second to Carve in the track’s $100,000 Fifth Season.
DAVID M. VANCE SPRINT (RACE 6)
Ivan Fallunovalot (Last 3 Beyers: 102-104-104)
◗ He will be making his first start since April 9, when he finished second to Alsvid in the Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn. Earlier in the meet, Ivan Fallunovalot won an optional claimer and the $100,000 King Cotton. The time off has been by design, said trainer Tom Howard.
“We campaigned him pretty hard in Hot Springs, and he needed to freshen up,” Howard said. “He was in some pretty tough races.”
◗ Ivan Fallunovalot spent the summer at Lone Star Park, where he turned in some sharp works and was entered in an allowance that did not fill in mid-July.
“I was sure hoping to have an out in him before we got here, [but] he runs fresh,” Howard said. “No big worries. I was just wishing he had one.”
◗ Ivan Fallunovalot put up a Beyer Speed Figure of 107 in January, when he won an Oaklawn optional claimer in his first start since September. He is the defending race winner in the Vance.
◗ Calvin Borel has the mount for Lewis E. Matthews Jr.
Delaunay (Last 3 Beyers: 99-99-85)
◗ He dominated the $125,000 Iowa Sprint Handicap in his most recent start June 26 at Prairie Meadows.
◗ He is making his first start at Remington.