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First running of Barbaro Stakes favors Matz trainee Chelokee |
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Written by Gohorsepower.com
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Friday, 18 May 2007 |
 On Preakness Saturday, Michael Matz returns to the Pimlico track where Barbaro's career ended tragically a year ago. This time Matz has a talented colt named Chelokee, who won his maiden race by 13 lengths, and took third in the Grade 1 Florida Derby after getting checked in the stretch. Chelokee will not only be a sentimental favorite for the first running of the $100,000 Barbaro Stakes on the Preakness undercard --Saturday, May 19-- but the son of Cherokee Run has shown before he has what it takes to make a name for himself among this year's three-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses.
Before the Florida Derby, Chelokee made an impressive display in a Gulfstream Park Allowance, where the son of Cherokee Run was pulled all the way back out of traffic and then rocketed to split foes and win in the final drive.
The Barbaro Stakes was formerly the Sir Barton, and is run at 1 1/16 miles. Also on Saturday, an elite Air Force parachute team will drop into Pimlico Race Course with the a flag designed with the colors used by Lael Stable of Barbaro's owners, Roy and Gretchen Jackson. Barbaro's memory was also honored Thursday when jockey Edgar Prado and Dr. Dean Richardson were awarded the 2007 Special Award of Merit at Pimlico's Alibi breakfast.
Chelokee did not earn enough graded winnings to make the Kentucky Derby, but the horse also had an abscess on his foot, and Matz decided to skip possibly making the Derby field. Chelokee may have raced the Preakness Stakes, but Matz finally decided that unless one of the top three contenders returning from this year's Kentucky Derby--Street Sense, Hard Soun, and Curlin--decided to skip the Preakness, he thought Chelokee should run the Barbaro Stakes instead.
Recomended Reading and Past Performances
Brisnet - Handicappers Edge - Barbaro Stakes
PIMLICO
Saturday May 19, 2007 - Race 9 |
Estimated Local Post Time: 3:37 PM Eastern
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Name: Barbaro S.
Purse: $100,000 |
| Distance/Restrictions: 1 1/16 Miles, Dirt, 3 Year Olds, STAKES |
| Post |
Horse and Jockey/Trainer |
Odds* |
| 1 |
Vow to Greatness (NY )
Jorge Duarte, Jr. / Randy Allen |
10/1 |
| 2 |
Stonehouse (IL )
Calvin Borel / Joseph Broussard |
10/1 |
| 3 |
Silver Express (KY )
Edgar Prado / Nicholas Zito |
5/1 |
| 4 |
Soaring By (KY )
John Velazquez / Todd Pletcher |
5/2 |
| 5 |
Dancin Buddha (KY )
/ Laura Dennis |
20/1 |
| 6 |
Chelokee (KY )
Ramon Dominguez / Michael Matz |
1/1 |
| 7 |
Zephyr Cat (KY )
Luis Garcia / Francis Campitelli |
10/1 |
*Morning line odds.
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