Churchill Downs Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky.— Closethegame Sugar, owned by trainer Adam Rice and New York Mets’ closer Edwin Diaz’s Sugar Diaz LLC, scored his second straight stakes win at Churchill Downs when he surged in the stretch to win Saturday’s 14th running of the $235,000 Kelly’s Landing (Listed) at Churchill Downs by 1 ½ lengths over Angkor.
Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., Closethegame Sugar clocked 6 ½ furlongs over a fast track in 1:14.89, which eclipsed Bango’s 2023 stakes record of 1:15.02 and was just .55 off Love At Noon’s 2001 track record of 1:14.34.
Four weeks ago, Closethegame Sugar defeated Skelly by one length in the $260,000 Aristides (Listed).
The triumph for the Kentucky-bred was worth $135,315 and boosted Closethegame Sugar’s bankroll to $507,865 with a record of 5-2-0 in eight starts.
Closethegame Sugar closed into a blistering pace set by Ryvit and Anarchist, who ran the first quarter mile in :21.93 and :43.98. Closethegame Sugar, who broke well and relaxed in third, swept past the tiring leaders at the top of the stretch with a three-wide move and drove clear down the lane as Angkor and Hoist the Gold chased him home to no avail.
“He’s an extremely talented horse and has really come into his own switching to dirt,” Ortiz Jr. said. “We had a beautiful trip today and he was very impressive.”
Closethegame Sugar, who raced exclusively on turf or synthetic surfaces prior to this year, is a 4-year-old gelded son of Girvin out of the Magna Graduate mare Casual Cocktail. He was bred by the late Kentucky Gov. Brereton C. Jones.
“It’s been a great meet here at Churchill and to cap it here in the Kelly’s Landing with this horse is extremely special,” Rice said. “He’s been great since we switched him to dirt. When he was younger we thought he’d be able to handle it so we were confident when he switched surfaces earlier this spring. Today he had another great trip under Irad and finished up very strong.”
Closethegame Sugar returned $4.88, $3.22 and $2.92 as the 7-5 favorite. Angkor, at odds of 9-1 under Jose Ortiz, returned $7 and $5.08 and finished a half-length in front of Hoist the Gold who paid $3.36 to show under Luis Saez as the 9-2 third choice.
Tejano Twist was fourth and was followed by Ryvit, Anarchist, Spankster and two-time Kelly’s Landing winner Bango.
The Kelly’s Landing honors the Summerplace Farm runner who earned $1,853,831 from a record of 10-3-2 in 27 starts for trainer Eddie Kenneally between 2004-09. The gelding won the six-furlong Aristides Handicap (Grade III) at Churchill Downs in 2005 by stopping the teletimer in a track record 1:07.55 (since eclipsed). His biggest victory came in the 2007 Dubai Golden Saheen at Nad Al Sheba in the United Arab Emirates. Kelly’s Landing also won the 2006 Phoenix (GIII) at Keeneland and 2007 Mr. Prospector Handicap (GIII) at Gulfstream Park.
