Rachel's Temper pays dividend with Summer Colony win
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Rachel’s Temper returned quick dividends off the claim by red-hot trainer Charlton Baker, wheeling back in just four weeks for her new connections to register a 1 1/2-length victory over Tiger Ride in Monday’s $100,000 Summer Colony Stakes at Saratoga.
Baker, who has won with 8 of his 18 starters at the meet, haltered Rachel’s Temper for $62,500 in the interests of owners Saul and Max Kupferberg out of a near-miss, second-place finish here July 27. And Rachel’s Temper earned nearly all of her purchase price back with her performance in the 1 1/8-mile Summer Colony.
With Jose Rosario back aboard, Rachel’s Temper rated a dozen lengths off a blistering early pace set by Money’soncharlotte and Milaya. Rachel’s Temper commenced her bid leaving the backstretch, swung well wide to continue her run into the stretch, readily ran down the tiring leaders near the sixteenth pole and edged clear. Tiger Ride raced well-placed off the leaders, gained command on the final turn, edged clear but could not resist the winner. Sweetgrass steadied behind horses awaiting room for nearly a furlong approaching the quarter pole, angled inside for the drive, loomed boldly at mid-stretch but hung late.
Eskenformoney, the 6-5 favorite, broke a step slow, got fanned wide on the first turn, moved to a striking position nearing the stretch but had little left down the lane, finishing a tiring fourth in the field of six fillies and mares.
Rachel’s Temper, a 5-year-old daughter of Flatter, paid $8.40 after completing the distance in 1:50.36.
“I always thought she was a nice filly, I always liked her, and when I saw her in for a claiming price I took her,” Baker said. “We trained her with the intention of putting her back for the same price. But she was training so well that when the nominations came up for this race, I thought let’s take a chance and put her in and see what the field came up like. And I guess it came up to her liking the way she ran.”
Baker said he couldn’t have been happier with the way the race set up.
“Rosario, he knows her, he knows her, and he did what he had to do,” said Baker, referring to winning rider Joel Rosario. “He was very patient. She runs big for him.”
