Dark Cove grabbed the lead with a quarter mile to run and held off late charges by Atigun and Najjaar to win the 76th
running of the Grade III, $111,800 Louisville Handicap by a half-length on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs.
Dark
Cove, the 122-pound starting high weight in the field of nine older
horses, was forwardly placed in the early stages of the turf
marathon and relaxed off the early pace in fifth as Al Qasr
led through quarter-mile fractions of :24.24, :49.09, 1:14.03 and
1:38.87. While racing in the clear
on the outside, Dark Cove drew even with the leaders around the final
turn and took command at the top of the stretch. He kicked clear in the
stretch and turned back late runs by slight 2-1 favorite Atigun and
Najjaar, who was a nose back of the runner-up.
The
Louisville Handicap was the second consecutive graded stakes win for
Dark Cove. On April 26, the 6-year-old took the Grade II, $150,000
Elkhorn at Keeneland by 4 ¼ lengths – exactly one year from the day the
Ramseys claimed him for $50,000.
The Ramseys have banked
$187,294 with Dark Cove since the claim. Saturday’s $66,544 first prize
jumped his career earnings to $399,054. In four years, he’s won eight of
his 23 starts with two seconds and one third.
LOUISVILLE HANDICAP QUOTES
Mike Maker, trainer of Dark Cove, winner: “The horse gives you 110 percent every time. He’s all heart and class.”
Any plans for his next race? “One race at a time.”
Rosie Napravnik, rider on Dark Cove, winner:
– “I was in a dream spot. I couldn’t have picked a better spot. I was
happy with where I was the whole way. He’s a very nice horse to ride and
they’ve done a great job with
him.”
Were you worried about getting caught by Atigun (second) and Najjaar (third)? “I felt them the whole way, so I was riding to win; I was riding till the wire. I knew they were coming, but (Dark Cove) was the
class of the race.”
Ken McPeek, trainer of Atigun, runner-up: “He had a terrible trip. I think he was several lengths the best horse.”
Will you look to Saratoga and those mile and a half grass races up there? “I would think so. He’s had some issues with his feet that we’ve been dealing with and I think he’s a little more comfortable on the grass. He’s obviously a very good horse.”
You had some fun with the winner when he was in your barn … “We
did good. He’s a nice horse – he always has been. I claimed him for
maiden 16 (thousand) and we had a lot of fun with him.”
Danny Peitz, trainer of Najjaar, third
(by telephone from Chicago): “We’ve been wanting to stretch him out,
though I don’t know that a mile and a half is what we were looking for.
But we looking for something longer
than a mile and a sixteenth, but that’s the way it’s all kind of shook
out here the last year and a half. We hadn’t had a shot to get him going
a little longer and I think he’s a little better on the grass. So
that’s what we’re kind of thinking now. We have
a couple of races up here (at Arlington Park) that we have a shot to run
in and we’ll see how we run.”
Leandro Goncalves, rider on Najjaar, third:
“He ran well, but we just couldn’t get to him (Dark Cove). He gave me a
110 percent. He had a great trip. I was very happy with the position I
had and when I called on him
at the quarter-pole I thought for a minute that I was going by the
6-horse (Dark Cove), but he never stopped.”
