Carl Spackler (#9) edges past almost hidden Talk of the Nation on the rail. (Coady Media/Churchill Downs)
Churchill Downs Update
LOUISVILLE, Ky.– E Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ Carl Spackler (IRE) edged past Talk of the Nation in the final yards to win the 19th running of the $304,100 Opening Verse (Listed) for 4-year-olds and up by a head on a sun-splashed Thursday afternoon before a record Thurby crowd of 60,015 at Churchill Downs.
Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Carl Spackler completed the mile on a turf course rated as firm in 1:35.31.
Talk of the Nation led the field of 10 through fractions of :23.95 and :48.11 as Gaffalione had Carl Spackler racing three wide and in the clear in the second flight of runners.
On the far turn, Carl Spackler went after the leader and the two hooked up at the three-sixteenths pole with neither yielding until the final yards when Carl Spackler edged clear in his first start in eight months.
Favored in the field of 10, Carl Spackler returned $5.98, $3.82, $2.78. Talk of the Nation, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., returned $4.56 and $3.38 and finished 2 ¼ lengths in front of Smokin’ T, who paid $2.94 to show under John Velazquez.
It was another neck back to Churchtown with Skyro, Accredit, Stitched, Ice Chocolat (BRZ),Harlan Estate and Tiverton (GB) following in order.
Opening Verse Quotes
Tyler Gaffalione (jockey, Carl Spackler, winner) – “I got back a little bit further than I wanted to be. I wasn’t too worried, because he was traveling well. He had a heated battle down the stretch, but you could tell he did not want to give in and lose.”
Chad Brown (trainer, Carl Spackler, winner) – “I am real proud of this horse today. His dam (Zindaya) is one of the first horses I trained and won with. He came off the layoff and ran great. That was a real good horse inside him (Talk of the Nation) and we had to fight all the way. We are probably going to take him up to Saratoga and see what we can do from there.”
Irad Ortiz Jr. (jockey, Talk of the Nation, second) – “It was a tough race, unfortunately we got beat. He was fighting, he kept trying. He changed the lead getting close to the wire, I think, and we lost momentum. That’s when we got beat. He was feeling the other horse and didn’t want the other horse to go by him, he was fighting back.”
John Velazquez (jockey, Smokin’ T, third) – We tucked in, then had nowhere to go from the three-quarter pole to the quarter pole, and I couldn’t get him loose. When I finally got him loose, he actually started running. It was too little, too late, and it was a slow pace. My horse is not supposed to be that close with such a slow pace. I got a position that I wanted at the half-mile pole, but the horse in front of me stopped, and I’m stuck behind him.”
