Amerman Racing Stables’ Kentucky homebred Stark Contrast blew past Honey Dutch at the eighth pole and then held off a late bid from Remember Mamba by 2 ¼ lengths to win the $1 million American Turf (G1) at Churchill Downs.
Trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden by Flavien Prat, Stark Contrast completed the mile and a sixteenth over a firm Matt Winn Turf Course in a stakes-record 1:40.31.Honey Dutch took over the lead on the backstretch from Street Beast and carried a daylight advantage into the stretch. The winner launched his bid with a five-wide move at the head of the lane, took over in mid-stretch and cruised home.
“My only instructions were to get him in a good spot,” said Prat. “I did that. He’s a good horse; he’s a very good horse.”
Stark Contrast is a son of Caravaggio out of the Quality Road mare Catch the Eye. Now a three-time stakes winner, Stark Contrast has a record of 7-4-2-0 with earnings of $1,066,060 that includes the $573,360 winner’s share of the lucrative purse.
“I can’t tell you how highly I thought about this horse,” said McCarthy. “He got a little sick on us over the winter. We were able to reroute and go to the Jeff Ruby Steaks. Flavien (Prat) speaks for himself and he gave him a great trip. Mr. and Mrs. Amerman are not here today but I really wish they were.”