Stark Contrast skips to the win. (Benoit Photo)
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.—Making his stakes debut for trainer Michael McCarthy, Stark Contrast took the lead in deep in stretch and scored by one length in Sunday’s Grade III, $100,000 Zuma Beach Stakes for 2-year-olds going one mile on turf at Santa Anita.
Stark Contrast (7-2) and jockey Kazushi Kimura prevailed by one length over rallying Third Beer (7-1) with Proletariat (8-5) a neck back in third. Caro Buono, the 6-5 favorite ridden by Kyle Frey, checked in fourth.
As for Kimura, he apparently is not only a top jockey but a prime prognosticator. Prior to Stark Contrast’s debut this summer at Del Mar, he made a prediction to Stark Contrast’s trainer Michael McCarthy.
“I told McCarthy he’s going to win a stakes. For sure,” Kimura said.
That prediction became a proclamation on Sunday when Stark Contrast rallied from off the pace to collar Proletariat inside the sixteenth pole and then hold off the late charge of Third Beer.
The winning move by Kimura likely came shortly after the gates opened. Four of the five horses in the field, including Stark Contrast, were all lined up on the lead for the first eighth of a mile. Kimura, who broke from the rail with Stark Contrast, decided to take back entering the first turn.
“Then I moved to the outside and he got into a nice rhythm,” Kimura said. “At the three-eighths pole, we picked it up.”
Stark Contrast is a homebred for Amerman Racing. By Caravaggio, Stark Contrast made little impact when debuting at six furlongs on dirt Aug. 3 at Del Mar. But a month later, he was stretched out to a mile on turf and promptly graduated with Kimura aboard.
“He kind of tipped his hand a little bit to us this summer at Del Mar,” McCarthy said. “He worked just well enough to warrant a start on the dirt and he got a lot out of it. Obviously towards the end of the meet there, we were lucky enough to run him a mile on the turf and he was very good that day. He has been training forwardly since then.”
Stark Contrast won in a time of 1:34.77 following fractions of 22.26, 46.20 and 1:11.47.
“A little tactical today,” McCarthy said of the performance. “I think Kazushi rode a great race and had him in a great spot. The horse leveled off nicely for him down the lane.”
Next up for Stark Contrast is a likely start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Oct. 31 at Del Mar.
“I’d like to go to the Breeders’ Cup, hopefully he stays healthy,” McCarthy said. “Congratulations to the Amermans. They are not here today but it would be nice to get back to the Breeders’ Cup for them.”
Stark Contrast paid $9.20, $3.60 and $2.60. Third Beer, ridden by Antonio Fresu for trainer Tim Yakteen, returned $4.80 and $3.40. Proletariat, trained by Jeff Mullins, paid $2.80.
