Olympiad turns back Happy Saver to win fourth straight in Alysheba
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Olympiad on Friday at Churchill Downs continued his march toward the top of the older horse division with an authoritative victory in the Grade 2, $500,000 Alysheba Stakes, prevailing at a distance short of ideal and despite runner-up Happy Saver getting the jump on him on the far turn.
Olympiad had sat second, just behind pacesetting Weyburn, for the first six furlongs of the 1 1/16-mile race before Happy Saver made an aggressive, three-wide move heading toward the quarter pole. It took a few strides for Olympiad to ramp up, but once he reached his peak cruising speed he came back inside of Happy Saver and drew away in the final sixteenth for a clear-cut, 2 1/2-length victory.
“When you ask him he doesn’t quicken. It takes him a sixteenth of a mile to really run, but after that it was over,” said his rider, Junior Alvarado.
Olympiad, 4, has now won four straight, all since going two turns, all since Alvarado took over as his rider, all this year. He won a second-level allowance at Gulfstream Park before victories at Fair Grounds in the Grade 3 Mineshaft and Grade 2 New Orleans Classic.
Olympiad was cutting back slightly in distance from the 1 1/8-mile New Orleans Classic to a distance at which he had won his first two starts of this year. Alvarado said he thinks Olympiad is even better at 1 1/8 miles.
“The more ground, he opens up on them a little more,” he said.
Weyburn set a steady pace for the first six furlongs, going the opening quarter in 24.21 seconds, the half in 48.43, and six furlongs in 1:12.15, with Olympiad always closest and Happy Saver stalking those two while three paths wide.
Happy Saver, under Irad Ortiz Jr., moved sharply for the lead, and drifted toward Olympiad, which compromised the stretch run of Weyburn, who was beginning to tire.
“He tried to get the jump on us,” Alvarado said. “He was right on top of me, didn’t give me much room. I was just trying to keep my horse going forward.”
The stewards never posted the inquiry sign, but spoke briefly by phone to Alvarado and Tyler Gaffalione, who rode Weyburn, before the race was declared official. Alvarado said Gaffalione told him he was out of horse when he was squeezed out. Weyburn wound up fourth, with Title Ready rallying for third. Soy Tapatio, Fulsome, and Max Player completed the order of finish. Militarist was scratched.
“We’ve always thought he’s a nice horse. A really nice horse,” said Bill Mott, who trains Olympiad. “It’s nice to see him on a nice roll.”
Olympiad completed 1 1/16 miles on the fast main track in 1:41.60. As the odds-on favorite, he paid $3.80. Olympiad was asssigned a Beyer Speed Figure of 103.
Todd Pletcher, who trains Happy Saver, was satisfied with his horse’s first start in more than five months and against a horse with strong current form.
“He ran super. There’s no substitute for a race,” Pletcher said. “It’s been a while since he ran. The winner was good. Hopefully this moves our horse forward.”
Olympiad is by Speightstown out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Tokyo Time. He has now won six times in nine starts. Mott trains him for a partnership of Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stables, and the LNJ Foxwoods stable of Larry, Nancy, and Jaime Roth, in whose silks Olympiad ran Friday.
Those silks include some gold, and Olympiad got the gold medal in the Alysheba.
