Glowing ‘Review’ for Colebrook
by Alan Carasso
Trainer Ben Colebrook is anything but a new kid on the block, even though he has only been training horses on his own for just over two years. It’s been a slow process in building up to a current count of 34 horses in the barn for a variety of clients, and the stable star, Sparkling Review (Lemon Drop Kid) will look to make it two graded stakes in a row in tomorrow’s GII Mrs. Revere S. at Churchill Downs.
Colebrook, 36, cut his teeth in the late 1990s and early 2000s working for Bill Harrigan at Miacomet Farm and helping with its sales consignments. In 2007, Colebrook became an assistant to trainer Christophe Clement and held that position for about 4 1/2 years while in charge of a string of 2-year-olds for the barn, including a colt named Tonalist. During this stretch, Colebrook also developed a close relationship with Castleton Lyons, and one of the farm managers, Jamie Frost, introduced the young trainer to Sparkling Review’s owner/breeder Ed Seltzer. It was the beginning of a partnership that has already reaped dividends.
Produced by a multiple stakes-placed half-sister to GISW No Review (Nodouble), Sparkling Review debuted without Lasix sprinting in the Churchill mud June 20, and her fifth-place effort was decent in the eyes of the trainer.
“She probably ran a little bit better than it looked and she probably wasn’t 100% fit,” he offered. “But she’s obviously a different filly since we put her on the grass.”
And how.
The bay was in receipt of Lasix when she tried the turf and two turns for the first time at Arlington Aug. 9, and she charged home to graduate by 2 1/4 expanding lengths as a 4-1 gamble. Sparkling Review was sent down to Kentucky Downs for her first try against winners Sept. 6 and was forced to wait in the gate, as no fewer than three of her rivals broke through the gates pre-start. She then endured a rough trip, exchanging bumps in upper stretch, but overcame with a stinging finish for a 3/4-length victory (video).
“We kind of asked a lot of her to go from a maiden to that a-other-than at Kentucky Downs for a lot of money and over a taxing course, but she won fairly easily with a rough trip,” Colebrook explained. And then went from there into the Grade III, so that was a lot to ask stepping up again.”
Sparkling Review tuned up for a potential start in the GIII Pin Oak Valley View S. Oct. 17 by working a half-mile on the grass in :48 3/5, a time that compared favorably with horses like Hootenanny, Sunset Glow and Judy the Beauty, who were prepping for the Breeders’ Cup over five grassy panels. The filly was pegged at 30-1 for the Valley View, but the tote board read 7-1 at post time. That fact didn’t surprise Colebrook.
“I thought she was going to run a big race,” he admitted. “Her work on the grass there at Keeneland was so good that I think a lot of people took notice of it. Her work was probably as good as any of those [Breeders’ Cup] horses. I thought she had a good chance in the Valley View.”
Drawn wide that day, Sparkling Review raced in centerfield in and amongst horses while well in hand for Julien Leparoux. Given her cue rounding the turn, she looped her rivals, came out about five wide into the stretch and pulled away by a decisive 2 3/4 lengths (video).
“She probably won the race a little easier than I thought she would,” Colebrook recollected. “I was a little worried about the outside draw and Julien working out a trip.”
Colebrook has a total of 34 horses, split between Churchill Downs and at Keeneland on Rice Road. He has wintered in the past at Turfway Park, but is toying with the idea of keeping horses this winter at Sam Houston and ship out to places like Oaklawn and the Fair Grounds. Colebrook also has horses for Darrell and Lendy Brown, Donamire Farm, Joe Allen and Ed Cox Jr. He maintains a straight-forward approach to his profession.
“I just want to stay in business and keep getting horses to train and keep winning races,” he offered with a chuckle. “I don’t try to think too far in advance–it’s tough enough as it is. You have to have a plan, but at the same time you don’t want to get too far ahead of yourself.
He continued, “It’s one step at a time, one race at a time with the horses and just kind of go from there. I want to focus on what I’ve got and, for everyone that I train for, to get the best out of the horses for them.”
It’s early days for the Colebrook barn, but it’s safe to say: so far, so good.