Smuggler's Hold sneaks home

Minneapolis shipper Smuggler's Hold got the gold with a perfectly timed move to the outside that carried him to the lead late on the final turn in the 61st running of the $75,000 Manitoba Lotteries Derby at Assiniboia Downs on Monday.

The dark bay Kentucky-bred gelding held off Alberta shipper Tease the Tiger and locally based 35-1 longshot Celtic Thane to win by three-quarters of a length and take home the $45,900 first-place money.

"He was kicking up a storm in the paddock," said Smuggler's Hold trainer Tim Padilla. "I thought he was going to kill somebody. But early in the race it looked like he wasn't going to get anything.

"Then he made that move and I thought he was going to win easily, but they were closing fast on him in the stretch. I was nervous about the cavalry charge that was coming late."

Owned by fellow trainer and Washington-state native Bryan Porter and ridden by Adolfo Morales, a former Peruvian jockey champion, Smuggler's Hold was sent off as the narrow second choice at 2.20-1 in the competitive 10-horse field and didn't let his backers down despite racing wide into the final turn.

The win was Smuggler's Hold's first stakes race triumph and fourth overall in 10 starts.

The first three finishers in the Derby were actually the last three runners into the first turn of the 1 1/8-mile race and it was the rapid pace that did it.

Slight post-time favourite K-5 Stable's Hilton's Cherokee set sizzling fractions of 22 2/5 for the first quarter-mile and 46 1/5 seconds for the half before getting heavy pressure into the final turn after three-quarters of a mile in 1:14 flat.

The favourite couldn't keep it going however, and after a mile in 1:38 4/5, Hilton's Cherokee gave way to Smuggler's Hold in the stretch.

The final time for the 1 1/8-miles over a fast track was one minute and 53 seconds, and Smuggler's Hold returned $6.50, $3.80, $3.50 across the board.

To his credit, Hilton's Cherokee held on to finish a credible fifth after scorching early. He'll only get better with seasoning.

The race wasn't without some mild controversy as Rohan Singh, the rider of fourth-place finisher Theglow, lodged a claim of foul against the riders of second- and third-place finishers Tease the Tiger and Celtic Thane for interference.

In the end, however, there was no change and the stewards made the right call.

Owned by the partnership of Arnason Farm and Mandy McDonald, Theglow ran an exceptional race to finish two lengths back of the winner in fourth after being squeezed late between the ralliers as he was tiring. It was a superb effort considering Theglow not only missed his major prep for the Derby due to an illness; but was also forced to change barns for a week due to an ownership dispute before the race.

"Considering all that went on before the race we thought he ran huge," said Barry Arnason. "We're really looking forward to the upcoming races now."

A crowd of over 5,000 took in the festivities on the biggest race day of the year at Assiniboia Downs and it pleased Manitoba Jockey Club president Harvey Warner.

"Anytime you have an up day in racing it's a good thing," said Warner. "The total handle was $419,762, which represented a substantial increase of $90,000 over last year's Derby day wagering. We thought it was an excellent and entertaining race for a $75,000 purse. Very competitive."

And it was.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 4, 2009 C1