Challedon Stakes: Mylute, plus posts, odds, and analysis
Mylute. Courtesy of Maryland Jockey Club.
From a Maryland Jockey Club release
His 30-race career has taken him through two-thirds of the Triple Crown with multiple graded-stakes placings and nearly $1 million in purse earnings, but there is one thing missing from Mylute’s resume – a stakes victory.
Even Ralph Nicks, the 6-year-old’s fourth trainer, was surprised when the son of champion sprinter Midnight Lute arrived in his barn.
“I couldn’t believe it when I got him and that, wow, this horse hasn’t [won a stake], but he’s run good,” Nicks said. “He’s run against some good company his whole life and he tries every time. He’s getting a little longer in the tooth and hopefully he can catch up.”
Mylute will have another chance at his elusive first stakes victory in Saturday’s $75,000 Challedon at Laurel Park. He will break from Post 7 of 10 in the seven-furlong sprint for non-winners of a sweepstakes 3 and older that includes graded stakes-placed All Star Red, Rockinn On Bye and Warrioroftheroses.
“He’s doing well. Hopefully he can get a win. It’s amazing he’s won that much money and done what he’s done and never won a stake,” Nicks said. “It would be nice to make him a stakes winner. Hopefully he can be a stallion somewhere.”
GoldMark Farm campaigned Mylute as a 2-year-old before selling a share to Whisper Hill Farm prior to his sophomore season, where he ran fifth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and third in the Preakness (G1) for trainer Tom Amoss. He has placed in 10 career stakes, five of them graded, most recently finishing third in the one-mile Westchester (G3) May 7 at Belmont Park in his first start for Nicks.
The Challedon will be just his third lifetime try at seven furlongs. Last Halloween he rallied late to be second in the Bold Ruler (G3) at Belmont.
“He kind of comes closing. Would I prefer a mile? Yes. I do think he’s a little more effective going one turn than two,” Nicks said. “Hopefully it’s the right competition to overcome a little of that and hopefully he hasn’t lost a little turn of foot.”
Overall, Mylute has finished in the top three in 16 of 30 starts with five wins and $933,772 in purse earnings. He owns a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance win June 17 at Belmont and two thirds from four starts under Nicks.
“He’s a neat horse. He’s like having a big kid around, a big toy. You can put a 2-year-old kid in the stall with him and have an 85-year-old person lead him around,” he said. “He’s such a cool individual. Those kind, it’s hard not to love.”
- Final Prospect (15-1) — Jevian Toledo/Gary Capuano — Good try go get third — put up to second — after a tough trip last out in the New Castle — but the waters get a lot deeper here… Closing sort has two wins at the distance, has finished behind three of these previously… Tough assignment…
- Big Guy Ian (10-1) — Alex Cintron/Michael Dilger — Owns two wins over the strip and one at the distance; let’s toss that last on the green, and this guy’s last three on the main track are all solid… Has speed to lead and has done best running from the front row… Fought it out bravely to be second to G3 winner Green Gratto in the Hockessin, finishing ahead of #8 This Boy’s Sharp and #9 Chief Istan in the process…
- Rockinn On Bye (10-1) — Taylor Hole/Stephen Casey – Hard-hitting local has a couple wins at the trip, though note winless (though never worse than third) in four off-track tries… Will be running late and hoping early types come back to him; rider Hole picks this horse over #4 Connemara Coast… Best efforts, including third in G3 Maryland Sprint, make him a contender… Note last time at the distance he ran third behind multiple G1 winner A.P. Indian… Could be a player at a price…
- Connemara Coast (12-1) — Angel Cruz/Tim Keefe — Never mind the Beyer from that last race; it was how he did it that impressed. Keefe trainee absolutely laid waste to a good field that’s produced two next-out winners (and he was 26-1)… Can he repeat? The jury’s out: two previous times he hit 90+ on the Beyer scale, he followed up with lesser efforts; also note that last-out rider Hole jumps ship to #3 Rockinn on Bye… Unlikely to get an easy lead as he did in last going a mile with other early runners here — but if he somehow does, they may have a tough time reeling him back in…
- All Star Red (2-1) — Victor Carrasco/Rudy Rodriguez — Late rally ran out of real estate last out at the Spa and after a good setup and could not reel in longshot leader… Showing two decent works since… This is his first try beyond 6 1/2 furlongs, though that oddball distance has seemed to agree with him: two wins and a second from three tries… Trainer-rider combo clicks at 25 percent at Laurel… Has been a different horse since entering Rudy Rod barn, posting five consecutive 90+ Beyers; note he finished ahead of #3 Rockinn on Bye in G3 Maryland Sprint in May and was bested two back by A.P. Indian… Versatile and figures a major presence here…
- The Truth Or Else (5-1) — Ricardo Santana, Jr./Ken McPeek — What sort of regard do the connections have for this guy? Nine of his 23 career starts are in graded company, including a near-miss second in last year’s G3 Southwest… Cross-entered in G3 Ack Ack at Churchill, where he’s 10-1 — and defending Breeders’ Cup Sprint champ Runhappy is 1-2 — so he may end up here… Interesting to see pilot Santana scheduled to make the trip… May have found his niche in the sprint division over last few starts… Formful, and if he gets the right setup, he’ll be around late…
- Mylute (9-2) — Trevor McCarthy/Ralph Nicks — Unlikely that anyone would have guessed when this guy ran third in the 2013 Preakness that he’d still be looking for a first stakes win three years later… He was third a year ago in the G3 Bold Ruler at this distance… He’s certainly capable on the turnback in distance, but others seem to hit the value target more squarely…
- This Boy’s Sharp (15-1) — Daniel Centeno/Gerald Bennett — Delaware shipper won his only try at the distance at Tampa Bay using stalk-and-pounce style… Centeno won on him that day and looks to reprise here… Upended #2 Big Guy Ian and #1 Final Prospect three back but has lost to both of those rivals — as well as #9 Chief Istan — in subsequent tries… Shows three works — two bullets — since disappointing effort in last… Will need to run best race of his life to get the money here…
- Chief Istan (6-1) — Gabriel Saez/Larry Jones — Speedster stretches out beyond six furlongs for the first time off a 6-furlong win at Delaware… Thrashed in a pair of stakes earlier this year, including behind #2 Big Guy Ian and #8 This Boy’s Sharp in the Hockessin… Showing three works since earning victory last out, which was also the first time since his return from injury when he gained ground in the stretch… Has four wins from just six starts, and trainer-jock combo click at 34%… He’ll need a big one, no question, but that’s not at all out of the realm…
- Warrioroftheroses (20-1) — Jose Montano/Damon Dilodovico… Never in the money in three tries at the distance, and the nine-time winner has done most of his winning around two turns — but among his best-ever results were runner-up effort in ’14 Fire Plug at six furlongs… Generally a one-dimensional front-runner, connections have to hope outer stall allows rider to eyeball the competition and get the jump on them — but even that might not be enough against these…
