Celtic Pride Stable's THE GROOM IS RED (Runaway Groom) showed
that the Belmont Park speed bias could be broken when he came
from the back of the pack on Saturday to take the 127th running
of the Champagne S. (G1) by 2 3/4 lengths under jockey Corey
Nakatani. While notching his first stakes score, the two-year-old
Nick Zito trainee picked up $240,000 of the $400,000 pot and sent
his earnings skyrocketing to $290,500.
Sent off as the fourth-choice at odds of more than 6-1, The Groom
is Red returned nice payouts of $15, $5.60 and $3.60. Runner up
Lemon Drop Kid (Kingmambo), who finished two lengths in front of
Weekend Money (Tactical Advantage), was good for $3.70 and $2.70
as the 5-2 second-choice, while the third-place finisher, who was
sent out as a rabbit for stablemate Prime Directive (Tactical
Advantage) and almost stole the show, returned $3.20 at odds of
more than 5-1. The exacta paid $48, and the 4-2-1 trifecta was avery nice $161.
Prime Directive, 6-5 favorite Tactical Cat (Storm Cat), Aly's
Alley (Alwuhush) and Medievil Hero (Sea Hero) completed the order
of finish after Noteasybeingreen (Distinctive Pro) was scratched.
Medievil Hero showed the fastest turn of foot out of the gate,
but Weekend Money was hustled to the lead over the slop, where he
would stay for most of the race. The front-runner, shadowed by
Tactical Cat, set quick splits of :22 2/5 and :45 1/5 while The
Groom is Red settled in last, fourteen lengths off the leaders.
Tactical Cat kept pressure on Weekend Money, and the two went the
first six furlongs in 1:10, but The Groom is Red was moving up
slowly, weaving in and out of horses through the turn.
As the field straightened out in the stretch, Weekend Money set
the final split in 1:36 2/5 while The Groom is Red was in full
run and making his move. Lemon Drop Kid and Prime Directive were
also making their bids as they raced to the outside of Weekend
Money, and it seemed as though it would be a three-horse race to
the wire. From the pack, though, The Groom is Red came flying
wide to pass all three and stop the clock in 1:42 4/5 for the
sloppy 1 1/16 mile main-track test.
"I just rode him like he was the best horse in the race," said
the winning jockey. "As soon as I turned into the stretch, we
were on the inside, and when I switched him to the outside into
the deeper going he just ran hard through it. When you have a
horse as good as this, all you can do is ride with confidence.
He's a small horse, but he's gutsy."
Zito was having a dream day.
"This is a race that I always wanted to win," the trainer said.
"Ever since I could remember, there were two races I wanted to
win, and I won them both -- the Kentucky Derby (G1) (with Strike
the Gold [Alydar] in 1991 and Go For Gin [Cormorant] in 1994) and
the Champagne.
As for (Saturday's) race, I told (owner) Rick
(Pitino) before the race that the last thing we want to do is
change the game plan for this horse just because of the track
condition. We went with the same game plan, and everything worked out.
"He looked a million miles away at one point but then all of a
sudden ... here he comes. He's not as big as other two-year-olds,
but he's got tremendous heart. He's got so much ability and he
showed it today. He's done things that other horses haven't, and
the one thing we'd like to do is be the only horse to ever win
the Breeders' Cup (Juvenile [G1]) and the Derby. We'd like to bethe first."
Pitino, who raced this year's Derby fourth-place finisher Halory
Hunter (Jade Hunter), also was thrilled with his youngster.
"When he was way out in the back I was a bit nervous, but to see
him coming around the way he did was unbelievable. It was such an
exciting moment. All I can say is that I'm a very lucky man and
I'm having a great ride."
Bred in Kentucky by Ginger Mullins, The Groom is Red was produced
from the Fast Gold mare Sheena's Gold. He is her second foal and
only winner. Last year, the broodmare produced a Known Fact colt
and this year she foaled a filly by Wekiva Springs.
The Groom is Red first passed through the sales ring as a
weanling in 1996, when he was sold for $52,000 at the 1996
Keeneland November Breeding Stock sale. Zito, acting as agent,
then purchased the bay colt this year for $150,000 during the
Fasig-Tipton February sale.
Saturday's win was the third in a row for The Groom is Red, who
now owns a line of 6-3-0-1. Zito will see how the colt comes out
of Saturday's race, but he likely will send him for an appearance
in the Juvenile on November 7. Scheduled to join him will be
today's runner-up, Lemon Drop Kid, and possibly Tactical Cat.
