LOUISVILLE, KY. – T O Elvis was 30-1 on the morning line, 12-1 going into the gate, 5-1 when the field crossed the finish, and won Saturday’s Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes like a 1-5 shot, not only dominating unquestionably the most talented field on the Kentucky Derby undercard but doing so in near track-record time.
T O Elvis arrived at Churchill Downs a relative unknown, as the stablemate of trainer Daisuke Takayanagi’s Kentucky Derby contender Wonder Dean. He’ll leave town among the leaders of the sprint division and potentially one of the early favorites for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Oct. 31 at Keeneland.
Although bred in Kentucky, the 4-year-old son of Volatile had made all eight previous starts in Japan, closing his 3-year-old campaign with four consecutive victories that included the Grade 3 Capella Stakes in his most recent outing on Dec. 14. Each of those wins came at six furlongs.
T O Elvis raced well placed in midpack, about five lengths off the early pace set by Macho Music in the run down the backstretch of the seven-furlong Churchill Downs. He was angled five wide to commence his bid entering the stretch, gained command nearing the furlong marker, and then drew off with complete authority, by 3 1/4 lengths, while kept under a vigorous ride by jockey Ryusei Sakai to the wire.
Disruptor rated near the rear of the field during the early going, came into the stretch just behind and outside T O Elvis, finished willingly down the center of the course, but proved no match for the winner while easily second best.
Crazy Mason rallied from last to narrowly finish third, running down the tiring Imagination who had taken a brief lead upon settling into the stretch. Knightsbridge, the 8-5 favorite, finished a disappointing sixth after prompting the pace into the stretch. Banishing, the runner-up in this event a year ago, bolted down the backstretch and was eased to the wire.
T O Elvis’s final time of 1:20.49 (108 Beyer Speed Figure) came within .05 of a second of equaling the seven-furlong course record set by Groupie Doll 14 years earlier. Owned by Ozasa Tomoyo, T O Elvis paid $13.74.
T O Elvis had originally been scheduled to run five weeks earlier in the Dubai Golden Shaheen but was eventually re-routed to Kentucky after his Dubai trip was canceled due to unrest in the Middle East.
“He was bred in Kentucky, which is why we wanted to bring him here after missing the race in Dubai,” Takayanagi said through an interpreter in the winner’s circle after the race. “I understand this was a really, really strong field, so I’m very happy with the result and very proud of my horse.”
Takayanagi said he is currently planning on taking T O Elvis to Royal Ascot in June but acknowledged he would like to come back to Kentucky for the Breeders’ Cup during the fall.
Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. acknowledged he was having a perfect trip aboard Disruptor while tracking the eventual winner into the stretch.
“Turning for home, I was right behind him [T O Elvis], he was moving good, so I followed him,” Ortiz said. “I tried to get clear outside of him and as soon as I did, he just opened up like four lengths. He’s a really nice horse. You never know how they are going to do here. But he was really good.”
Junior Alvarado said Knightsbridge had little excuse in the Churchill Downs.
“I had a good trip. We were sitting there in second and when I turned for home, I asked my horse, and he just didn’t fire today,” Alvarado noted.
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