Highland Chief slips through along inside to win Sycamore; BC Turf a possibility

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Highland Chief added to his breakthrough season Friday when getting a terrific ride from John Velazquez in winning the Grade 3, $266,813 Sycamore Stakes going 1 1/2 miles on the Keeneland turf.

Always close to the pace, Highland Chief slipped through a rail opening when the field straightened for home when powering to a one-length score over Temple. It was the second graded score in five starts this year for Highland Chief, following the Grade 1 Man o’ War at Belmont Park in May.

“I was just trying to save him,” said Velazquez. “I was just looking for some sort of space down at the quarter pole. Once I got it, he was there for me.”

Highland Chief, trained by Graham Motion for owner-breeder Mrs. Fitri Hay, is an Irish-bred 5-year-old horse by Gleneagles. He paid $15.32 as fourth choice in a full gate of 12 older horses after finishing in 2:28.87 over firm going.

Temple got second by a neck over Highest Honors amid a veritable stampede behind the winner, with less than a length separating the second-through-eighth finishers.

On a breezy, partly sunny afternoon, and with youth abounding in the stands on College Scholarship Day, Accredit set the pace in splits of 50.20 and 1:15.49 before the others started making their moves. Highland Chief had the best one, charging through without having his momentum halted at any point when accounting for his fourth win from 15 overall starts. His first 10 races came in Europe.

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This was the fourth win in the Sycamore for Motion, whose greatest career win came in 2011 when he and Velazquez teamed to win the Kentucky Derby with Animal Kingdom. Jonathan Sheppard holds the Sycamore stakes record for a trainer with five wins.

Motion had intended to run Highland Chief last Saturday in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Aqueduct, but a minor illness derailed those plans, with the Sycamore being a reasonable alternative six days later.

“He got over this little bit of a virus very quickly,” Motion’s assistant, Alice Clapham, said after the Sycamore. “He had a nice breeze Monday, and it all worked out really well.”

Motion said the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf could be a viable next race for Highland Chief, “given it’s right back there at Keeneland” on Nov. 5.

The $2 exacta (4-8) paid $314.020, the $1 trifecta (4-8-13) returned $1,375.98, and the 10-cent superfecta (4-8-13-6) was worth $1,446.12.

* One race earlier, Strobe ($2.76) sped to another convincing victory under Florent Geroux when capturing a first-level allowance at six furlongs in 1:10.46 over a fast main track. The 3-year-old Into Mischief colt won his only prior start, a maiden race on Kentucky Derby Day, with a 99 Beyer Speed Figure. Brad Cox trains for owner-breeder Godolphin.

* The Sycamore was the first of three straight graded turf stakes to be run here this weekend. The Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup is set for Saturday and the Grade 3 Franklin for Sunday. The 17-day meet runs through Oct. 29.

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