Caleb’s Posse, cutting back in
distance off seven straight route races, blew past his opponents in the stretch
to win the Grade 2, $150,000 Amsterdam
on Monday at Saratoga Race Course.
Cutting back to 6 ½ furlongs in the Amsterdam off a pair of 1 1/16-mile
races, Caleb’s Posse trailed the field of seven under jockey Rajiv Maragh
through an opening quarter-mile of 22.45, advanced into fifth along the inside behind
a half in 45.01, and came wide into the lane to shoot past his opponents and
prevail by a widening four lengths. Redeemed nipped Wine Police by a neck for
second.
“It seemed like there was some speed in the race,” said
Maragh. “My horse is definitely a closer; I was just hoping not to get
disconnected early and have enough late to run. I didn’t want to stop his
momentum at all. I felt like I had a lot of horse and I just didn’t want
to get impeded by any means, so I took him to the clear and he kicked home
really strong.”
Caleb’s Posse, the highest price on the board at 12-1, returned
$27.60 for a $2 win wager. The final time for the Amsterdam, restricted to 3-year-olds, was
1:15.88.
A son of Grade 2-winning sprinter Posse, Caleb’s Posse has now
won three starts in 2011, having previously captured the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park in January and the Grade 3 Ohio Derby
at Thistledown on June 4. He made one start between the Ohio Derby and the Amsterdam, having finished
fourth in the Grade 3 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows on June 25.
The last time Caleb’s Posse ran in a sprint, he won the Clevor
Trevor at Remington
Park in November.
Coincidentally, Clevor Trevor, second to Easy Goer in the 1989 Travers, was the
last horse winning trainer Donnie Von Hemel had brought to Saratoga prior to this year.
“If you looked at his races last year, [Caleb’s Posse] was a
capable sprinter that we were stretching out because of the opportunities the
3-year-olds have through the spring,” said Von Hemel. “It turned
out that maybe we should have been sprinting before now.”
Caleb’s Posse was bred in Kentucky
by Don C. McNeill, whose McNeill Stables owns the colt in partnership with
Cheyenne Stables. The sophomore boasts a record of 6-2-1 from 13 starts, with
the $90,000 winner’s share of the Amsterdam
purse lifting his earnings to $408,304.
Von Hemel said Caleb’s Posse could make his next start in the
Grade 1, $250,000 Foxwoods King’s Bishop at seven furlongs on August 27,
Travers Day.
“That’s a discussion we’ll have to have with the
ownership,” said Von Hemel. “It looks like it will be a little
tough for him in that group also, but with the way he performed today maybe he
can handle that, too.”
The order of finish was completed by Justin Phillip, favored Arch
Traveler, To Honor and Serve, and Travelin
Man.