Release the 'Craken'

Unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' McCraken produced his third straight huge, off-the-pace run for his third straight win here.

Taking a ton of play first time for the very patient Ian Wilkes, the Whitham homebred closed strongly to win going away by 2 1/2 lengths and reproduced that effort in the Street Sense S. here Oct. 30, rallying from eighth to triumph by 3 3/4 lengths, good for 'Rising Star' honors.

Crushed down to favoritism off a generous 7-2 morning-line quote in this first two-turn test, the bay broke alertly and was angled over to the three path heading into the clubhouse turn while sitting in ninth. Beginning to inch closer as the field compressed heading towards the half-mile pole, McCraken revved up with an eye-catching four-wide advance on the far bend, split horses nearing the top of the lane and closed stoutly while lugging in a bit to nail Wild Shot inside the final sixteenth.

“He's named after a small town in Kansas,” winning co-owner Clay Whitham said. “We just drive through there a lot. It's super exciting to have a good 2-year-old, it's very exciting. We've raced a lot of nice horses, but we've never had one that we had considered a Derby prospect since Mud Route and that was a long time ago. I believe we are getting Derby fever. Winning this race definitely gives us expectations that he's a good horse. We'll see how it goes. Obviously you don't want to get too far ahead in this business, but he's a very nice horse.”

Winning trainer Ian Wilkes added, “He needed that race tonight, he needed a little test. He had to really run tonight, they didn't hand it to him. It wasn't easy. He came through for us. He had to really belly down and run so that was good. He's got a tremendous turn of foot. He was in a great spot and I thought that [jockey] Brian [Hernandez Jr.] rode him well and I was very pleased with his performance tonight. He's got a great mind, a great turn of foot and he has the ability.”

Pedigree Notes:

Runner-up in the GIII Endine S. during her racing days, McCraken's dam Ivory Empress (Seeking the Gold), a half-sister to GI Gamely Breeders' Cup H. heroine Mea Domina (Dance Brightly), has a yearling colt named Kearny County (Stroll) and a filly of this year named With Dignity (Declaration of War). She was covered by Majesticperfection this year.

McCraken's second dam is GSW Madame Pandit (Wild Again), who was runner-up in the GI Santa Monica H. and is a half-sister to SW Sunlit Silence (Trempolino). The latter is responsible for MGSW & GISP Greek Sun (Danzig) and this is also the family of GSW Fiscally Speaking (Belong to Me).

McCraken's lightly raced third dam Tuesday Evening (Nodouble), a runaway Santa Anita maiden winner in her career finale at second asking, was purchased for $75,000 as a weanling by the Whitham family back at the 1983 FTKNOV sale.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
KENTUCKY JOCKEY CLUB S.-GII, $200,000, CD, 11-26, 2yo,
1 1/16m, 1:44.15, ft.
1–@MCCRAKEN, 122, c, 2, by Ghostzapper
1st Dam: Ivory Empress (GSW, $189,402),
by Seeking the Gold
2nd Dam: Madame Pandit, by Wild Again
3rd Dam: Tuesday Evening, by Nodouble
'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Whitham Thoroughbreds LLC. (KY); T-Ian
R. Wilkes; J-Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. $115,320. Lifetime
Record: 3-3-0-0, $190,848. *1/2 to Bondurant (War Front),
GSP, $130,726. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A.[bullet ad=”lambholm-south-training-grad”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–Wild Shot, 122, c, 2, Trappe Shot–Ranter, by Storm Cat.
O/B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-George R. Arnold, II. $37,200.[bullet ad=”stonestreet-trainingalum”]3–Warrior's Club, 122, c, 2, Warrior's Reward–Thirty Eighth St.,
by Citidancer. ($25,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP; $47,000 RNA 2yo '16
OBSAPR). O-Churchill Downs Racing Club; B-John O'Meara
(KY); T-D. Wayne Lukas. $18,600.[bullet ad=”toplinesales-2yograd”][bullet ad=”keoghjames-soldbygrovendale”]Margins: 1 1/4, 3 3/4, HD. Odds: 0.80, 4.30, 12.60.
Also Ran: Uncontested, Silent Decree, Shareholder Value, Just Move On, Perro Rojo, Jocker Justice, Han Sense, Total Tap, Romeo O Romeo. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.