CARRICK OUTGAMES ANALYZE IT IN SECRETARIAT

By Bailey Gallison —-

Carrick; All photos by Coady

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (August 11, 2018) – Lightly raced Carrick, sent off at 38-1 without a stakes win on his resume, ran down odds-on favorite Analyze It to win by a neck in the 42nd running of the Grade I $400,000 Secretariat Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1¼-miles over the turf at Arlington International Racecourse.

John Velazquez found a spot all alone for Carrick in the early running, sitting fifth at the back of the first flight as Real Story led through fractions of 22.80, 47.27, and 1:11.62. Analyze It, already established as one of the top turf sophomore in the U.S., struck the lead entering the stretch under reigning Eclipse Award-winning rider Jose Ortiz, but Velazquez and Carrick had him in their sights while swinging four-wide into the straight It was a two-horse race through the lane as Carrick put in a sustained drive on the outside of a tenacious Analyze It and the two battled in tandem until Carrick inched ahead in the final sixteenth, logging a final time of 2:01.04.

“By the backstretch I was in a perfect position and I was very happy with the way he was doing things,” Velazquez said. “After that, really, I was just waiting for the stretch run to see how he would respond for me and he responded right away.”

It was the first Arlington International starter and stakes win for trainer Tom Morley and his first graded stakes win in two years since Haveyougoneaway first put the young Englishman on the map with a pair of stakes wins at Saratoga

William H. Lawrence’s Analyze It finished second for a third time in a row after a pair of heartbreaking losses to Catholic Boy in New York for the Chad Brown trainee.

“My horse ran good,” Ortiz said. “It might be farther than he wants to go, but he tries. He hasn’t disappointed and he performed really well.”

The top two were 2¾ lengths clear of Calumet Farm’s Bandua, who got up for a third by a nose at 39-1 for trainer Dermot Weld.

“He just got a little outpaced,” said Bandua’s rider William Buick. “Had a lovely run through the race. The front two just kind of kicked clear of me and he was just getting his rhythm going. He’s a nice horse and he’s one that’s going to keep improving, as well.”

Carrick is owned by Donegal Racing, the partnership that also won the Secretariat in 2010 with Paddy O’Prado. Last time out he ran third in the Grade 3 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park, his stakes debut.

“We knew he’d run well, but to beat this field is really extraordinary,” said Jerry Crawford, managing partner of Donegal Racing. “I said before we started today that you get to be world champion for a day if you win this race. Thank you to Arlington, one of the classiest places in the world, and thank you to Mr. Duchossois, who has meant so much to this sport.”

Carrick, by Giant’s Causeway out of How Far to Heaven (Distorted Humor), improved his career record to three wins in four starts and took home $223,200 to raise his career earnings to $302,800. The winner paid $78.20, $16.80, and $9.20, while Analyze It returned $2.80 and $2.40, and Bandua was worth $12.60.

Platinum Warrior rounded out the superfecta and the full order of finish was completed by Captivating Moon, Ming (IRE), Untamed Domain, Hunting Horn (IRE), Real Story, Sniper Kitten, Dubby Dubbie, Lucious Tiberius (IRE), and Pont Du Gard.

GRADE I SECRETARIAT QUOTES

John Velazquez (jockey, Carrick, winner): “He broke well and going past the wire for the first time he settled really well. By the backstretch I was in a perfect position and I was very happy with the way he was doing things. After that, really, I was just waiting for the stretch run to see how he would respond for me and he responded, and he responded right away.

“I wanted to wait a little longer and not make a premature move, but he handled it very well.

“I rode him last time out at Delaware and had a horrible trip. I broke a little slow and then tried to put him as close as I can. I had to ask him a little bit after he broke slow and he then got rank and I got into a ton of trouble.”

Jerry Crawford (managing partner, Donegal Racing, Carrick, winner): “We were confident. We knew he’d run well, but to beat this field is really extraordinary. We may have just set a record with the number of young people in the winner’s circle. We invited them all.

“It’s a little emotional, to be honest. We won this race with Paddy O’Prado. I said before we started today that you get to be world champion for a day if you win this race. Thank you to Arlington, one of the classiest places in the world. Thank you to Mr. Duchossois, who has meant so much to this sport. And how about my team of Tom Morley and John Velazquez?”

Jose Ortiz (jockey, Analyze It, second): “My horse ran good. It might be farther than he wants to go, but he tries. He hasn’t disappointed and he performed really well.”

William Buick (jockey, Bandua, third): “He just got a little outpaced. Had a lovely run through the race and he’s a nice horse. The front two just kind of kicked clear of me and he was just getting his rhythm going. He’s a nice horse and he’s one that’s going to keep improving, as well.”

Joel Rosario (jockey, Platinum Warrior (IRE), fourth): “He felt good. He’s a big horse. He broke good out of the gate I just has to hold him for a little bit. It looked like he wanted be back there and eh was trying to make a run. You have to really ride him the whole time. He finished really well in the last part.”

Arlington International Racecourse – the Chicago area’s premier Thoroughbred racetrack located in Arlington Heights, Ill. – will run a 71-day meet in 2018 from May 4 through September 22. Arlington International Racecourse, whose parent company is Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN), also operates 10 off-track, simulcast-wagering facilities in Aurora, Chicago, Hoffman Estates, Waukegan, Villa Park, Rockford, Hodgkins, McHenry, Green Oaks and Orland Hills. Arlington International Racecourse is a proud member of America’s Best Racing. Information on Arlington International Racecourse and Trackside OTB can be found online at www.arlingtonpark.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/arlingtonpark and www.facebook.com/tracksideotb, and on Twitter at @Arlington_Park for the latest happenings, @ArlingtonRacing for the latest racing news and @TracksideOTB for all things pertaining to off-track wagering.