Doncho, Big Trouble employ different styles to win William Garrett, Clarksville
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The way in which they won diverged sharply, but favorites Doncho and Big Trouble both got the job done in six-figure turf-sprint races Friday afternoon at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
In the $100,000 Clarksville, restricted to older fillies and mares, Big Trouble closed from ninth of 11 and from seventh at the stretch call to get up by a half-length. Meanwhile, Doncho went straight to the front in the $100,000 William Garrett and never had an anxious moment while posting a two-length victory.
Doncho has won two straight, 7 of 13 in his career, and is now 4 for 7 in turf races. He remains a speed horse, quick out of the gate and very fast, but he responded kindly to a light rating hold from jockey Jaime Torres, widening his advantage from the top of the homestretch to the wire.
Doncho ($4) stumbled slightly at the start but quickly went clear, finishing off seven foes with a final furlong in a robust 11.42 seconds while clocking 55 seconds for five furlongs on a very fast-playing firm turf course. Mondogetsbuckets was second by a nose over Heart Headed.
Michelle Lovell trains Doncho for Jose Lopez’s JAL Racing, and after a successful early career as a dirt horse, Doncho has emerged as a fairly serious grass sprinter. A 5-year-old gelding by Mo Town out of Sassy Redhead, by Henny Hughes, Doncho won the Da Hoss last summer at Colonial Downs and hit a career peak last month at Churchill capturing the $224,000 Mighty Beau with a 103 Beyer Speed Figure.
Clarksville
Five-year-old mare Big Trouble has raced more and won less than Doncho but has proven a highly capable turf sprinter in her own right. She benefited Friday from a fast pace in front of her, with La Puma going an opening quarter-mile in 21.04 seconds, .71 faster than Doncho ran one race later. But after looking like a beaten horse a furlong out, Big Trouble finished with purpose after jockey Mitchell Murrill got her to the far outside.
Slang finished second and Shirley Ann third as Big Trouble got her five furlongs in 55.26, paying $4.60 to win.
Greg Foley trains Big Trouble for her breeder, Donamire Farm, who got Big Trouble by mating Kantharos and the Into Mischief mare Into Trouble. Into Trouble’s other two foals to race – both campaigning for Donamire and Foley – are 4-year-old Troubleshooting, a Grade 1-winning crack turf sprinter, and 3-year-old Trouble Calling, who finished second last weekend in the Dade Park Dash at Ellis Park.
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