Super Spender soothes Cibelli's earlier disappointment by winning Claiming Crown Canterbury
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - One week after suffering a frustrating setback when Rose Brier was disqualified following an apparent win in the Grade 3 Tropical Park Turf, trainer Jane Cibelli was able to breathe a sigh of relief once the official sign went up making her Super Spender the winner of Saturday’s $110,000 Claiming Crown Canterbury at Gulfstream Park.
Super Spender benefitted from a patient ride by Nik Juarez, who bided his time in traffic before finding a seam between horses in early stretch and driving the son of Super Saver to his third win in his last four starts. Partly Mocha overcame a slow start and was going best of all at the end, finishing second, a neck behind the winner, as the tepid 5-2 favorite in the five-furlong turf dash. Divine Warrior was third.
Super Spender completed the distance over a firm course in 56.04 seconds and paid $12.80.
“He’s kind of a funny horse because he runs like he wants to go 5 1/2 or six furlongs, and then you try to stretch him out and he doesn’t run well,” said Cibelli. “So I think we’re going to stop trying to re-invent the wheel and keep him at five-eighths. And Nik rides him so well, he really does. He was in traffic, he got so far back, I thought coming off the turn he’d never get through, and fortunately he was able to push his way through.”