WOODBINE MILE

(GRADE 1)

IT’S on the first floor, down a long hall, on the right, in the Keeneland administration office building. It’s one of those places you have to know it’s there to find it. Two pieces of art adorn the walls – one of Secreto and another of the founding fathers of Keeneland. There’s Hal Price Headley amongst the icons of the sport.

A hundred years since Headley came home from Princeton University to Lexington and changed the game, Headley’s grandson, Headley Bell, his wife Nancy and their son Price Bell Jr., slid into the conference room to watch the Grade 1 Ricoh Woodbine Mile at Woodbine Racecourse last Saturday.

The last time Headley Bell watched a race from that room was when Palace Episode won the Racing Post Trophy, in 2005. A son of Machiavellian from the Runnymede consignment had caught Bell’s eye and Con Marnane’s eye. They teamed up together, tried to sell him and wound up running the horse. He won three of his first five races, climaxing in the Group 1 stakes at Doncaster.

With that in mind and the sting of watching the Arlington Million live, the Bells decided to watch the Woodbine Mile from the same place. With Hal Price Headley watching (and maybe Secreto, too) and some vibes from Palace Episode, the family watched Oscar Performance try to erase a debacle in the Million when he pulled up late. The four-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy had been announced as the newest stallion acquisition at Mill Ridge (co-headed by Headley). The team flew to Arlington ebullient and flew home dejected. You know the story.

Well, they flew out of Keeneland’s conference room elated.

Owned by Amerman Racing and trained by Brian Lynch, the colt did what he does best, using his speed to establish a lead and his tenacity to turn away all challenges, scoring by one and a half lengths over local Mr Havercamp and British shipper Stormy Antarctic.

Jose Ortiz made the difference, somehow, slowing the pace to 24.60s for the first quarter and 48.78s for the half-mile. Well, that’s like giving a dog a bone, Oscar Performance quickened from there, winning his seventh stakes. He’s now won a Grade 1 stakes at two, three and four, and over. One more run in the Breeders’ Cup Mile and Oscar Performance will head to Mill Ridge to continue its rich legacy.

After selling horses at Keeneland all day – all week – the Mill Ridge team was ecstatic over Oscar Performance’s performance.

“We wanted to change our luck from the Arlington debacle,” Price Bell said.

“He broke, set easy fractions, turning for home it seemed like he was collared then to see him buckle down like that and be that brave…wow. Nice horse. It’s great to see the horse come back like that.”

Bred by Mrs. Jerry Amerman, Oscar Performance has made a mint by setting the pace and kicking home, he’s now won Grade 1 stakes from a mile to a mile and a quarter

“He’s a star,” Lynch said. “He’s just a star.”

Somewhere, Hal Price Headley was smiling.