Maker stoic as ever after winning fifth Kentucky Turf Cup
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FRANKLIN, Ky. – Mike Maker must be a great poker player. Nobody can ever tell what he’s thinking or feeling, the same blank expression betraying what’s actually going on in his mind.
It happened again Saturday at Kentucky Downs, with Maker standing stoically in the winner’s circle while joyful chaos erupted all around him. Maker had just sent out the winner in the Grade 2 Kentucky Turf Cup for a record fifth time, but who could tell? He might as well as have just watched one of his horses finish fourth in a $10,000 claiming race.
“Winning any race is exciting,” he monotoned, albeit with a semblance of a smile, after being asked what it was like to extend his own record for Turf Cup wins.
Red Knight was his latest Turf Cup winner. The 8-year-old gelding, bred and owned by the Trinity Farm of Tom Egan, turned back a deep-stretch bid from Gufo to prevail by a nose, perpetuating Maker’s dominance in the track’s annual signature event. All five of the Maker wins have come since Da Big Hoss won back-to-back in 2015-16.
Maker, 53, was back Sunday to set the all-time record for single-meet wins by a trainer (11) when Just Say When captured the first of just two races on a program otherwise postponed to Tuesday because of course conditions. That left 21 races (nine Tuesday and 12 Wednesday) for Maker to further extend his record as the all-time leading trainer in track history.
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Red Knight, who will make his next start in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 5 at Keeneland after securing the Win and You’re In berth that was at stake, earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure. Earlier on the card, Maker also won the Mint Million with Somelikeithotbrown (98 Beyer).
The winning Beyers from the other four Saturday stakes were 101 for Bran in the Grade 2 Turf Sprint; 95 for Dalika in the Grade 3 Ladies’ Turf; 98 for Campanelle in the Grade 3 Ladies Sprint; and 98 for One Timer in the Grade 3 Franklin-Simpson.