Highway Robber up in time to win the Sycamore (Keeneland Photo)
For information on Past The Wire’s annual Breeders’ Cup Seminar, the very best in the game CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE for information on Tracking Trips, your second set of eyes in Horse Racing
Keeneland Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Susan and Jim Hill’s Highway Robber stuck his nose in front of Godolphin’s defending champion Bold Act (IRE) right at the finish line to win the 30th running of the $300,000 Sycamore (G3) for 3-year-olds and up.
Trained by Brian Lynch and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Highway Robber completed the 1½ miles over a turf course labeled as firm in a course-record time of 2:26.08. The victory, which made Highway Robber a millionaire, was the fourth of the afternoon for Gaffalione.
Cathkin Peak (IRE) raced on an isolated lead and reeled off fractions of :23.16, :46.51, 1:11.02 and 1:36.66 as Highway Robber ran near the back of the pack.
Cathkin Peak carried his advantage into the far turn with Dataman and Sugoi closing in along with Bold Act, who had raced in the clear all the way.
At the top of the stretch, Bold Act was in high gear and hit the front at the three-sixteenths pole. Behind him, coming five-wide, was Highway Robber who drew on even terms at the eighth pole setting up the duel to the wire.
Highway Robber is a 4-year-old gelded Kentucky-bred son of Hard Spun out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Yabba. The victory, Highway Robber’s first graded stakes tally, was worth $172,050 and increased Highway Robber’s earnings to $1,001,063 with a record of 11-5-2-1.
Sent off as the favorite in the field of 11, Highway Robber returned $7.18, $3.88 and $3.14. Bold Act, ridden by Luis Saez, returned $4.28 and $3.66 and finished 4¼ lengths in front of Utah Beach, who paid $5.82 to show under Jose Ortiz.
It was another three-quarters of a length back to Dataman, who was followed in order by Sugoi, Tawny Port, Big Blue Line, Ohana Honor, Cathkin Peak, Always Above and Verstappen.
Quotes from the $300,000 Sycamore (G3)
Tyler Gaffalione (winning rider of favorite Highway Robber)
“First off, I’d like to say thank you to (trainer) Brian (Lynch) and the ownership (Susan and Jim Hill). I’m so thankful to get this opportunity. He’s a very fun horse to ride. He’s a tremendously talented horse. He does everything you ask. He’s push-button, with a tremendous turn of foot. Obviously we had to battle a little bit down the lane, but I never really was worried. He just kind of waited when he got up to (Bold Act-IRE).
“(I) most definitely (liked the way the fast pace materialized). On form it looked like it could set up that way. My horse was in a nice, even tempo. I was happy with where I was, and that was my main concern at that point.”
Brian Lynch (winning trainer)
“It was very much a tactical jockeys’ race, wasn’t it? That turns everything around, when you get them going so quick in front like that. Tyler seemed to ride him so comfortably and he had a good tempo going, we just had to pray the traffic opened up and he could get through when he got through. It was such a game effort, to head-bob (trainer) Charlie Appleby’s horse (Bold Act-IRE) out, because (horses trained by Appleby are) hard to get by.
“(Highway Robber) is certainly trying to get better, and he’s certainly found his niche in these marathon races. We really look forward to him as a 5-year-old. He’s still only a very lightly raced horse. At Gulfstream, we’ve got the Pegasus (World Cup) Turf (Invitational-G1 Jan. 25), so hopefully he can continue on that level. We really look forward to him next year as a 5-year-old.”
Luis Saez (rider of runner-up and defending champion Bold Act-IRE)
“Clean trip – it was good. He tried hard. He was perfect for me. He came from behind. He is fine; just got beat by a good horse.”
Jose Ortiz (rider of third-place finisher Utah Beach)
“He broke very good. I was able to find a good spot going into the first turn. From there I just tried to wait as long as I could. The pace was a little hot for the distance. I saved a lot of ground. I tried to wait as long as I could. I got a good opening on the inside. My horse was third best.”
On riding pacesetter Cathkin Peak (IRE) in his previous two races
“(The fast pace today) helped me obviously. I knew it was gonna be hot. I have ridden the horse that was on the lead (Cathkin Peak). Last time I rode him, he had a pretty strong mile. I knew if he broke good, it would be hard to get him to relax. I knew he had speed so I was expecting more of like a :48 (half mile) — :46 seemed pretty fast for the distance.”
Racing continues Saturday with a 10-race program beginning at 1 p.m. ET that is highlighted by the $750,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana for 3-year-old fillies going 1⅛ miles. The QEII will go as the afternoon’s eighth race with a 4:44 p.m. post time.
