Saham closes strongly to win Jefferson Cup

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Saham didn’t look like a winner for nearly two-thirds of the running of Saturday’s $100,000, Grade 3 Jefferson Cup at Churchill Downs, racing wide in the rear half of the pack behind a dawdling early pace.

Then the final quarter-mile came into play, and in a matter of seconds, Saham went from what seemed a probable loser to a sure winner. He powered past horses, collared the pacesetting Watchyourownbobber at the eighth pole, and went on to post a three-quarter-length victory.

The winner, a 3-year-old colt by Lemon Drop Kid owned by Sultan Bin Mishall, raced a mile on firm turf in 1:37.76, a relatively slow time but one influenced by splits of 50.54 seconds and 1:15.11 that made a fast time nearly impossible. He paid $12.80.

What won the race for Saham was his kick down the stretch, which he ran in approximately 22.20 seconds.

Not even a wide trip could stop him, though winning jockey Joe Rocco Jr. said he initially was a little concerned about ground loss into the first turn. But being on the outside and out of traffic, “I was able to creep down the backside to where he more of less needed to be, and he put in a tremendous run turning for home,” he said.

The front-running Watchyourownbobber, benefiting most from the slow early splits and racing untested on the lead, held second, 1 1/4 lengths in front of entrymate Wayward Kitten.

Nun the Less, the 2-1 favorite after winning the Mystic Lake Derby at Canterbury Park, was dull throughout, dropping back to last down the backstretch and only passing a couple of horses in the stretch to be seventh.

Winning trainer Brendan Walsh said he would like to scout around for another race this year before perhaps freshening Saham for the major spring races for older horses in 2016. Though he didn’t mention the race by name, a logical option could be the Grade 3, $100,000 Commonwealth Turf for 3-year-olds at Churchill on Nov. 27.