R Calli Kim shows solid form in taking Long Island Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - R Calli Kim kept the Long Island Stakes trophy in the family and ran her personal winning streak to four with a visually impressive 2 1/2-length victory in Sunday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Long Island at Aqueduct.

R Calli Kim’s victory came one year after her older half-sister, Temple City Terror, last won this 1 3/8-mile turf stakes for fillies and mares.

At this time last year, R Calli Kim was in the midst of recovering from surgery to remove an ankle chip, which ultimately kept her away from the races for one year. R Calli Kim returned from that layoff to win a $32,000 claimer at Saratoga and followed that with victories in allowance races at Kentucky Downs and Keeneland.

Both of those wins came at marathon distances, making the Long Island a logical place for R Calli Kim to make her stakes debut.

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Brendan Walsh, who trains R Calli Kim and trained her sister Temple City Terror, had thought about running R Calli Kim in the Dowager, a 1 1/2-mile stakes at Keeneland, but opted for the allowance and then the Long Island.

Ridden by Jose Ortiz on Sunday, R Calli Kim was just loping along near the back of the pack. At first, Ortiz said, he was following Joel Rosario on Atomic Blonde, but then opted to follow Manny Franco on Unruly Julie, both of whom were closer to the pace early on.

Neither horse went on, so Ortiz, around the turn, opted to cut back to the inside and follow Rhombique, ridden by Dylan Davis. Turning for home, Ortiz switched R Calli Kim into the four-path and she powered past the leaders, Vergara and Whatlovelookslike, while outfinishing Rhombique.

“She cut the corner beautifully and had a lot of horse underneath me, which made it a lot easier,” Ortiz said. “It made every move look like the right move.”

Rhombique, at 41-1, finished second, 1 1/4 lengths in front of Vergara. Whatlovelookslike, Embrace Me and Unruly Julie completed the order of finish. Atomic Blonde was eased and vanned off. The stewards confirmed Atomic Blonde bled.

R Calli Kim, a 6-year-old daughter of Revolutionary out of the dam It Takes Two, covered the 1 3/8 miles in 2:14.22 and returned $4.40 as the favorite.

R Calli Kim is owned by the partnership of Rich Averill and former major league baseball player Jason Werth, the latter races under the moniker Two Eight Racing.

“She’s exceeded all expectations this year, she won a bit in hand today, it’s been a remarkable year with her,” Walsh said. “We had to take a chip out of an ankle. We gave her plenty of time, I think that was key. She came back great. Did I think she’d accomplish what she’s accomplished? Absolutely not.”

R Calli Kiim is now 8 for 13 in her career. Walsh anticipates her running next year.

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