Mike Maker Wins Kentucky Turf Cup with Former Claimer Ole Loopy Bone

The story is acquainted, coach Mike Maker heads to Kentucky Downs with a turf marathoner, incessantly one he claimed, and walks away with a victory within the Grade 2 KTDF Kentucky Turf Cup Invitational Stakes. 5 instances it occurred from 2015-22, and now the winningest coach in Kentucky Cup historical past has prolonged his tally to 6.

Ole Loopy Bone was accountable for extending Maker’s document Sept. 6, registering a light 6-1 upset within the $2,496,667 million race simply 2 1/2 months after Maker claimed the 5-year-old Ghostzapper gelding for $100,000  in late June at Churchill Downs. Between his acquisition and the Kentucky Turf Cup, he had been a troubled, fast-closing second within the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup Stakes Aug. 3 at Ellis Park over a shorter 1 1/4-mile distance.

The additional quarter mile proved simply what Ole Loopy Bone desired. Gobbling up the extra floor below reigning Eclipse Award-winning rider Flavien Prat, he reeled in pacesetting Corruption on his solution to defeating graded stakes successful runner-up Tawny Port by 3 3/4 lengths. The winner superior from a stalking place behind fractions of :24.20, :48.87, 1:12.89, 1:36.61, and a couple of:00.75 to finish 1 1/2 miles in 2:24.72 on a course rated good however nonetheless fairly quick. He paid $15.50 to win.

With the Kentucky Turf Cup a part of the Breeders’ Cup Problem “Win and You are In” Collection, Ole Loopy Bone earned an automated, paid berth into the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

“(The proprietor) was already screaming Breeders’ Cup after I referred to as him. I am guessing that is the path we’ll go,” stated Maker, a winner of three Breeders’ Cup races however by no means within the Turf.

All-sources wagering on Saturday’s Kentucky Downs card exceeded $25.3 million, establishing a brand new monitor document.

Prat stated he was unsure how a lot run Ole Loopy Bone had left late on the second flip, however after his mount switched leads within the stretch, “he actually engaged and went on and obtained the job completed,” Prat stated.

Corruption held on for the present, Favored Fort Washington ran a large and completed sixth.

Bred by Adena Springs in Kentucky out of the stakes-placed Good Strike mare Southern Gem, Ole Loopy Bone notched his first stakes win of his 19-race profession after three earlier stakes placings. In addition to the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup for Maker and proprietor Jay Provenzano’s Flying P Secure, he had been third earlier this 12 months within the John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park and second within the 2024 Texas Turf Traditional Stakes for coach Bret Calhoun.

Maker famous the nice situation during which Ole Loopy Bone arrived in his steady, saying merely that the horse match the profile of what he usually seeks in a declare.

“I needed a horse that regarded like he’d admire a mile and a half. We had the race at Ellis in thoughts, and this race, in fact,” Maker stated.