UPDATE: Sumwon's Race/Post-Script

[Kasept]

Excuse my tardiness in getting back to everyone, but the opportunity to sit in one spot and get online and write has been nil...

SUMWON THRILLS DEE TEE WITH BIG CHURCHILL RUN

It was a delightful afternoon at 4th and Central in Louisville Sunday, as the Dee Tee Stable odyssey continued with Sumwonlovesyou making her second start in the lime and royal in front of another dozen partners and their guests.

The Leger Boys, Jeremy Williamson and friends, Dr. Coney, Chris Dunn and Eileen, Jon B., 'Joe (The Dude) from Illinois', Wingnut John, 'Phystech', Barry Frey and Steve Haskin were among the attendees, (and I know I'm forgetting a couple more). All were excited as we stood in the shadows of the twin spires for what looked to be a promising performance.

With her fitness level markedly increased courtesy of her turf try at KEE and a sharp work seven days earlier, Sumwonlovesyou came to the Downs' Paddock obviously prepared for a good effort. On her toes and with her burnished coat glistening in the spring sun, the daughter of Came Home looked a "standout' in the walking ring.

Once on track, jockey Willie Martinez got Sumwon warmed up nicely before she entered the gate without the recalcitrance shown at Lexington three weeks earlier. After the bell, her race speaks for itself. Sumwon broke alertly, if not as sharply as usual, and took a stride or two to find her proper lead. Once in cadence, she zipped to the front on the inside with Willie keeping her off the rail by design until leaving the one turn mile chute and meeting the main track.

In hand and command down the backstretch, Sumwon did 'whatever she was asked' according to Martinez later, rating on the front end under steady pressure through a sharp half mile in :46.2. She had shirked two challenges for the lead even before the turn, and came to the head of the stretch in front. Once straightened, Sumwon did fail to change leads for Martinez for the drive, a habit that he and morning rider Cherie agree might be fixed with an earlier hand change with the whip.

Martinez had done a terrific job fanning Sumwon's pursuers wide into the turn, and when confronted by three of those challengers to her outside, she maintained her advantage. But the failure to gain a burst with a smooth lead change was the likely difference in the final outcome, as Martinez could not get her to the rail in time to shut off Ken McPeek's Girls Pearls. The eventual winner, who had been enjoying a perfect trip under Robby Albarado, slipped through inside Sumwon and quickly gained nearly a two length lead approach ing the eighth pole. But the race wasn't over.

With the rest of the field disposed of, Sumwon lit after Girls Pearls, and dug in gamely all the way down the stretch, while cutting the beaten lengths margin in half and getting to the winner as the line loomed. "She run huge Chuck," Martinez said afterwards. "If I could have gotten her over to the rail, it would have made it hard for that winner. She got a little tired for a second, but she never quit and we were getting to that horse when the line came up."

When they passed the wire with a strong placement secured, the thrill and pleasure of her effort ignited those in attendence, and undoubtedly those with a positive rooting interest, watching around the country. Having gone off the longest shot on the board at 13-1, mutuels came back juicy, and the final time of 1:36.2 confirmed that Dee Tee has a real racehorse in its' possession. In the Simon barn for only 100 days, the performance essentially doubles the value of Sumwonlovesyou from her $24,000 auction price, while showcasing Chuck's training program and placement decisions. (As well as sending the bench jockeys and naysayers crawling back under their rocks.)

Martinez, who posed for photos with the group and could not have been nicer to everyone, likes Sumwon a lot. "She's a really nice filly," he told Chuck. "She did anything I asked and was so comfortable. On the backstretch she went when I asked and relaxed when I asked." Chuck inquired of Willie whether he thought Sumwon would rate the same around two turns, and Martinez said yes. "It won't be a problem," he said. Martinez thanked everybody for the ride and concluded that, "we'll do it again soon.."

Sumwon came out of the race beautifully, only the slightest bit tired. She happily greeted the Dee Tee faithful back in her stall later; ate up her evening and morning-after meals and is sound as can be. Chuck will evaluate her post-race progress for several days before beginning to formulate a next step plan. As of Monday though, he discounts the idea of running back within three weeks which would be a third race in less than six weeks. Options include potential starts at Churchill, Colonial, Arlington, Belmont or Mountaineer, in anything from similar claimers to a N2L or N1X allowance. More on Sumwon's next start as we know it. As Haskin said after the race, "That's a really nice filly. You're going to have some fun with her.."

Obviously, Sunday is a living testimony to how much fun the game is and why people are drawn to it the way they are. 50+ people were able to tell friends and family "my horse ran second at Churchill Downs today," and the experience is only going to run second behind gaining a win photograph. Chuck and I took great pleasure in everyone's enjoyment of Sumwon, and are appreciative of the partners and other true fans of racing who wrote and said so many nice things over the past 48 hours.

Thanks to everyone who came out for the race and those that were pulling for our girl at home or in amused OTB's around North America. Hearty congratulations on a job well done go to Chuck, Cherie, T.C. and everyone in the Simon Barn who works so hard.