Bob Hill
Staff writer
Tracksideview.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Arson Squad parlayed a perfect stalking trip behind the early leaders in the Grade 3 Alysheba into a convincing victory Saturday at Churchill Downs.

The seven-year-old gelded son of Brahms tracked patiently two lanes off the rail behind the pace as early leaders Friesan Fire and Enriched cut fractions of 24.86, 48.95 and 1:12.54 for six furlongs.

Arson Squad challenged just beyond the three-eighths pole and passed Enriched and then Friesan Fire near the quarter-pole before drawing off in the lane to win to a two-and-quarter-length victory.  Flying Private closed for second, Enriched held on for third, and Prom Shoes got up for fourth to complete a superfecta that paid $16,122.

Cool Coal Man was denied the lead by Friesan Fire and Enriched and never really engaged the action.  Macho Again, the betting 3-1 betting favorite at post time languished throughout and finished seventh.  Bullsbay broke slowly and never was a factor, running the entire race near the back of the pack.

Trained by Rick Dutrow, Arson Squad ran the 1 1/16 miles on a “fast” track in 1:43.28. The victory was worth $100,976 and increased Arson Squad’s earnings to $1,107,164 with his eighth victory in 27 starts.

The winner paid $9.80, $5.40 and $4.20. The exacta paid $128, and the trifecta paid $1,108.

ALYSHEBA QUOTES

PACO LOPEZ (jockey, Arson Squad): “It was an easy race. (Trainer Rick Dutrow) said, ‘Paco, you know how to ride this horse. You won on this horse at Gulfstream. He won easy.’ ”

RICK DUTROW (trainer, Arson Squad): “This jockey must get along great with this horse. Arson Squad usually comes from way off of it and with this rider – I don’t know if the horse puts him there or the jock puts him there and I’m going to try to find out — but he’s just run so big these last two times with this rider when he’s been close to the pace.

“We’re going to keep him here and run him in the Stephen Foster. I told Sam (Samantha Siegel) that if does run big in here, we’ll just keep him here and run him in the Stephen Foster because the horse does get along good with this track. And it is very good timing for his next race. We expect him to show up. It looks like he’s turning the tables. He’s run big twice and this jock really gets along with him.

Why use Lopez? “I didn’t have anybody that I wanted to ride. All the jocks were gone that day. I had (Joe) Bravo that I wanted to put on Helsinki because he had won on him before. There just wasn’t anybody else left and we got lucky to get him. And it was luck that these two got along so good. I love Paco Lopez.”

TERRY THOMPSON (Jockey, Flying Private): “I had a great trip. I was following the winner all the way, about a length off him. When he made his run I went with him. At first, we were there. But then he just kept on going and we couldn’t keep up with him. No real complaints, though. My horse ran good.”

JOEL ROSARIO (Jockey, Enriched): “I had a lot of horse today. I was cruising up there. When I asked him, he went on. But those two that went past me went on better. We just got outrun in the lane.”

SILVER TIMBER WINS 16TH CHURCHILL DOWNS TURF SPRINT IN TRACK RECORD TIME

(Edited Churchill Downs report)

Michael Dubb and the High Grade Racing Stable’s Silver Timber rallied from off a blistering pace to win the 16th running of the $119,100 Churchill Downs Turf Sprint (GIII) by a neck over Chamberlain Bridge in track-record time over the Matt Winn Turf Course on Friday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Julien Leparoux, Silver Timber ran the five furlongs over a course rated as “firm” in :55.45. The clocking broke the course record of :55.54 established by Unbridled Sidney on July 9, 2005.

It was Leparoux’s second victory in the race having previously scored in 2006 with Man of Illusion.

Central City and Starfish Bay dueled on the lead through a first quarter in :21.25 with Silver Timber in sixth place and in the clear racing three-wide down the backstretch.

In the stretch, Central City put away Starfish Bay at midstretch only to be confronted by Silver Timber, who eased past in the final 50 yards. Chamberlain Bridge edged Central City by a nose for second.

Silver Timber returned $7.40, $4 and $3.20. Chamberlain Bridge, ridden by Jamie Theriot, paid $4.20 and $3.20 with Central City, under Robby Albarado, paying $9.20 to show.

The victory was worth $69,411 and increased Silver Timber’s earnings to  $540,519. A 7-year-old New York-bred son of Prime Timber out of the Alwuhush mare River Princess, Silver Timber increased his record 32-11-3-5.

CHURCHILL DOWNS TURF SPRINT QUOTES

JULIEN LEPAROUX (Jockey, Silver Timber): “I got a perfect trip, a very good trip. My horse had a lot of speed already and they were very, very fast from the gate so I knew they were going fast, but I was comfortable all the way. I was very happy where I was and the horse is very nice.”

MICHAEL DUBB (Co-owner, Silver Timber): “He’s the best, his trainer (Chad Brown) is the best and Julien (Leparoux) is the best. I’m just a passenger along for the ride.

“We are aware of that (course record) and we’re not surprised. He won at Keeneland last time out and was only about 80 percent. He is just now fully cranked. We claimed him hoping he would be a useful New York state-bred, but he’s far exceeded expectations.

“You have to give Chad a lot of credit. His horses come first. He could have been here and got all the glory, but he stayed in New York with his horses. Right now as we speak he’s setting up his Saratoga operation.”

JAMIE THERIOT (Jockey, Chamberlain Bridge):  – “He ran his race. For the most part I had a pretty good trip. He fired. They ran fast. They ran very fast.”

ROBBY ALBARADO (Jockey, Central City):  – “I had a good trip and got beat. They ran really fast. It felt like a track record.”