BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Just hours before Seminole Chief captured the $158,000 Appleton on March 29, trainer Jack Sisterson decided the Florida-bred son of Girvin needed some quick morning exercise before making the 40-mile trek to run at Gulfstream Park.
“If people knew how much these horses like their job,” Sisterson said of Seminole Chief shortly after winning the Appleton. “This morning, he wanted to train as well as run. He wanted to do it, so we allowed him to do it.”
It appears the edge on Seminole Chief has not waned less than two weeks after his three-quarters of a length victory over a grassy mile in the Appleton as Sisterson has him entered to run in Friday’s Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland Race Course.
Nine 4-year-olds and older will race on the turf for the winner’s share of the $500,000-guaranteed purse with Seminole Chief drawing the outside post.
Seminole Chief will try to extend his winning streak to three having won a second-condition, $62,500 optional claiming going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the turf at Gulfstream on March 1 two starts back.
Owned by Brad Grady and David Grund, Seminole Chief has won five of nine career starts with one third including a surprising victory in the $300,000 In Reality division of the 2023 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes to conclude his 2-year-old season.
Lightly raced as a 3-year-old with just one win in three starts in a first condition, $75,000 optional claiming on the Gulfstream all-weather course, Seminole Chief started this year finishing third, less than a length behind graded stakes-winner Atone in a second level, $62,500 optional claiming going a mile on the turf at Gulfstream on Jan. 25.
Seminole Chief is out of Secret Song, by Dunkirk and was bred in Florida by Brad and Misty Grady.
An earner of $419,825, Seminole Chief was an $80,000 purchase by HND Bloodstock out of the Bobby Dodd consignment at the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ Sales June Sale of 2-year-olds in training.
(Seminole Chief’s Under Tack Video / Walking Video)
Dylan Davis, who rode Seminole Chief for the first time in the Appleton, gets the return mount. Seminole Chief is 20-1 on the morning line.
Multiple Grade 1-winner Carl Spackler (Ire) makes his first start since finishing sixth in the Grade 1 FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile presented by PDJF won by More Than Looks at Del Mar on Nov. 2.
Prior to the Breeders’ Cup, the Chad Brown-trained Carl Spackler won four of five starts last year including consecutive wins in Grade 3 Kelso in July and Grade 1 FanDuel Fourstardave Handicap in August, both at Saratoga Race Course; before taking the Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland on Oct. 5.
Carl Spackler will race in the lime green and purple colors of e Five Racing Thoroughbreds LLC, for whom he has earned $1,608,475 from seven wins with a second in 11 starts.
By Lope de Vega (Ire) out of Zindaya, by More Than Ready, Carl Spackler is the 9-5 morning line favorite.
Flavien Prat will ride the 5-year-old horse for the first time and they have post six.
Rounding out the field are Integration with Frankie Dettori named to ride, Irad Ortiz Jr. has the assignment on Funtastic Again, Trikari and jockey John Velazquez Jr., Grand Aspen will have Joel Rosario up, Santorini has Alex Achard taking the call, Silent Heart will be guided by Luis Saez and Jose Ortiz rides Northern Invader.
Return to the April 10 issue of Wire to Wire
