Salesman runs away with Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Speed was powerful at 1 5/8 miles on dirt in the first race Saturday at Santa Anita, where Salesman dominated the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes in front-running fashion under Flavien Prat.

Looking forward to later Saturday, Prat commented on the speed-friendly profile that could benefit Arabian Knight in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

“I hope it’ll be the same,” Prat said, laughing.

The first race on Breeders’ Cup Saturday was a good start for Prat, who rode Salesman ($8.60) to a gate-to-wire romp in the TAA. He won the dirt marathon by 8 1/4 lengths over Win the Day. Kiss Today Goodbye finished third, while odds-on favorite Siskany struggled with the footing and finished last of five.

“At the five-eighths, he was done,” Siskany’s jockey William Buick said. “This is all very new for him. He didn’t like it.” Siskany, a multiple Group winner making his first start on dirt, chased the pacesetter from second or third, and surrendered.

Richard Mandella trains Salesman for owner-breeders Alain and Gerard Wertheimer. The TAA was the gelding’s first start over the Santa Anita dirt on which he has trained very well.

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“I used him for a lead horse for workouts, and he didn’t want anybody to beat him,” Mandella said. “He just came to himself a couple months ago,. I kept trying to make a turf horse out of him.”

Salesman worked in company with Mandella-trained Tamara, who came out of her seventh-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with a “knot” in a hind leg. “I don’t think it’s a big deal,” Mandella said. Further examination is pending.

As for Salesman, he apparently is a very nice 6-year-old dirt horse. He won’t be running on turf again anytime soon. Sired by Dubawi, Salesman has won four races and $335,300 after banking $155,000 on Saturday.

The final time for the 1 5/8-miles race on dirt was 2:44.08. Salesman was given a 92 Beyer Speed Figure.

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