One last lap for Accelerate

ARCADIA, Calif. – He’s won multiple training titles in Southern California over his 40-year career, and had trained an Eclipse Award winner, but John Sadler went to the next level over the past year based on the accomplishments of Accelerate, to whom he will bid a bittersweet farewell on Sunday morning after he makes his final start on Saturday in the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park.

Accelerate was good at 3, better at 4, and absolutely outstanding last year at age 5. He won 6 of 7 starts in 2018, including the Breeders’ Cup Classic. That victory sealed a certain Eclipse Award as champion dirt male for Accelerate, and made him a finalist for Horse of the Year, with the announcements on both set for Thursday night at Gulfstream. He will be Sadler’s second champion, following Stellar Wind, the Eclipse Award-winning 3-year-old filly of 2015.

Accelerate holds special meaning for Sadler. He gave Sadler his first Breeders’ Cup victory, so the title of being the trainer with the most starters without a winner has been passed on. And, unlike Stellar Wind – who was acquired privately after two starts – Accelerate has been with Sadler throughout his racing career, having been purchased as a yearling.

“He’s the most important horse I’ve had in my career, no doubt,” Sadler, 62, said last weekend in his stable office at Santa Anita not long after Accelerate turned in the final work of his career. “I’ve been lucky to have many good horses throughout my career, but he’ll be the highest in terms of earnings, a Breeders’ Cup win, an Eclipse. All really, really good stuff.”

Accelerate, a son of Lookin At Lucky, was purchased at Keeneland in Sept. 2014 by Kosta and Pete Hronis, who own the bulk of the horses in Sadler’s barn and also owned Stellar Wind. He was on their radar because of his older half-brother Daddy D T, a son of Scat Daddy out of the Awesome Again mare Issues, whom Sadler trained at the beginning of his career. Daddy D T had won the listed Oak Tree Juvenile Turf Stakes at Del Mar less than a fortnight before Accelerate went through the sales ring.

“We liked his half-brother. That’s what led us to Accelerate,” Sadler said.

Accelerate took a while to get to the races. He did not debut until April of his 3-year-old season, in a maiden race at Los Alamitos in which he finished second and with another future star, Arrogate – also making his debut – finishing third. Accelerate did not win against maidens until his fourth start, that July. He won his next two starts, and finished his 2016 campaign with a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, just a neck behind runner-up Gun Runner.

Accelerate lost his first four starts of 2017 before his biggest win of that year, an upset over Arrogate in the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar. But he could only finish third in the Pacific Classic, and was a disappointing ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

“There have been a lot of twists and turns,” Sadler said. “At 3 we were happy with his Breeders’ Cup run against Gun Runner, and then the next year he beats Arrogate. And then this past year.”

Yes, 2018 was a breakthrough year for Accelerate. Once considered a middle-distance specialist, he won all four of his starts at 1 1/4 miles, sweeping the Santa Anita Handicap, Gold Cup at Santa Anita, and Pacific Classic prior to the Breeders’ Cup. In three of his races he produced Beyer Speed Figures of at least 110. He has now won 10 times in 22 starts and has earnings of $5,792,480, with another big payday possible on Saturday before he heads to stud at Lane’s End.

“He’s a great example that if you take good care of a horse and have good management, they’ll reward you as an older horse,” Sadler said. “Some horses just get blown out early.

“He’s had a tremendous amount of long-distance racing and training and has stood up to it. That’s a top horse.”

Sadler said that Accelerate has gotten “more studdish” as he has aged.

“He’s always had a nice personality, but he’ll bite you.” Sadler said.

Groom Alejandro Escobar has looked after Accelerate throughout his career, and Javier Meza has been his regular exercise rider. Both have been with Sadler for more than a decade. Juan Leyva, the former jockey who is now Sadler’s assistant trainer, has put Accelerate through his most important works this past year. All will be at Gulfstream for the Pegasus.

“It’s been a great experience,” Sadler said. “It’s been a fun ride.”