Rustler goes to the front and refuses to be corralled in Carle Place Stakes
ELMONT, N.Y. - Rustler, a 21-1 longshot, took the initiative leaving the gate under Kendrick Carmouche and the Kentucky invader could not be caught, winning Friday’s inaugural running of the $100,000 Carle Place Stakes for 3-year-old turf sprinters by three-quarters of a length at Belmont Park.
Smokin’ Jay, who won last month’s $100,000 Allied Forces here at 15-1, got up for second Friday by a nose over Snow House. Kawhi Me a River was fourth, followed by Ocala Dream, Easy Time, Crowded Trade - the 5-2 favorite despite having never before run on turf - Indian Lake, Wolfie’s Dynaghost and Town of Gold.
Arzak was scratched by the track veterinarian at the gate. Resist the Devil was an early scratch.
Rustler, a son of Dominus, was making his stakes debut coming off a first-level allowance win at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 12. He was a forward factor in that race and, after warming the horse up prior to the Carle Place, Carmouche wanted Rustler to be forward again on Friday.
Breaking from post 8, Carmouche hustled Rustler to the front and toward the inside. Snow House, who broke from post 10 under John Velazquez, was within a half-length of Rustler through a quarter in 22.74 seconds and a half-mile in 45.95.
Turning for home, Carmouche gave Rustler a few taps of his right-handed stick, and he was able to go on a bit. Smokin’ Jay and Snow House ran just evenly in the final furlong and couldn’t catch Rustler.
Carmouche said his plan was to “leave there running and see where it goes from there.”
“My horse was running easy,” he said. “I knew I still had horse when he switched to his right lead, and I just had to ride him home from there and he kept running.”
Rustler, owned by P T and K Stable and trained by Dane Kobiskie, covered the seven furlongs in 1:20.79 and returned $44 as the third-longest shot on the board.
The victory was one of three on the day for Carmouche, who returned to race riding on Sept. 6 after missing three months due to an ankle injury suffered on Belmont Stakes Day. His 18 wins from 106 mounts have him in sixth atop the standings at the Belmont fall meet.