English Channel (horse)

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English Channel
Sire	Smart Strike
Grandsire	Mr. Prospector
Dam	Belva
Damsire	Theatrical
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	2002
Country	United States
Colour	Chestnut
Breeder	Keene Ridge Farm
Owner	James T. Scatuorchio
Trainer	Todd Pletcher
Record	23:13-4-1
Earnings	$5,199,028
Major Racing Wins, Awards and Honours
Major Racing Wins
Virginia Derby (2005) Colonial Turf Cup (2005) Woodlawn Stakes (2005) United Nations Stakes (2006,2007) Turf Classic Stakes (2006) Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Handicap (2006, 2007) Canadian Turf Handicap (2006) Breeders' Cup Turf (2007)
Racing Awards
American Champion Male Turf Horse (2007)
Infobox last updated on: October 27, 2007.

English Channel (foaled April 10, 2002 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Owned by James T. Scatuorchio and bred by Keene Ridge Farm, he was sired by Smart Strike out of the Theatrical mare Belva. He made his racing debut in 2004 at the Saratoga Race Course and won the race. In four years of racing, he competed in twenty three races, winning thirteen, finishing second in four, and finishing third in one. His final victory came at the 2007 Breeders' Cup Turf, where he set a record for this race when he won by seven lengths. Following this race, he was retired to stud in in Lexington, Kentucky.

Contents 1 Two-Year-Old Campaign 2 Three-Year-Old Campaign 3 Four-Year-Old Campaign 4 Five-Year Old Campaign 5 Races 6 Breeding 7 References

[edit] Two-Year-Old Campaign

English Channel made his first start at the age of two in a 1 1/16 mile maiden race on the turf at Saratoga. Ridden by John Velazquez, English Channel got off to a slow start in his first race, running midpack almost throughout before showing an explosive finishing kick and pulling away to break his maiden by a length in his first time out.^[1][2]

[edit] Three-Year-Old Campaign

Seven months later, in March of 2005, he made his second career start in an allowance at Gulfstream Park. Once again he ran midpack, but unlike in his maiden race, he was unable to close ground on the eventual winner Drum Major and came across the wire in fourth place.^[3] Exactly one month later, English Channel ran in an allowance at Keeneland. After making a four-wide sweeping move, he ran at the front of the pack, eventually taking the lead and driving to a 5.75 length victory.^[4]

On Preakness day at Pimlico, English Channel made his stakes debut in the listed Woodlawn Stakes. After running much of the race in traffic, he once again charged into the lead and pulled away, winning by 4 lengths, marking his first career stakes victory, his second straight victory by more than three lengths and his third overall victory.^[5]

In June of 2005, Pletcher pointed the horse to the inaugural Colonial Turf Cup at Colonial Downs to try for the first leg of the Grand Slam of Grass. Currently a Grade III event, the race was a listed stakes in its first year. Running on the outside in third during the opening portions of the race, English Channel once again stormed to the front and pulled away from his competitors to score his third straight victory.^[6]

English Channel then attempted the second leg of the Grand Slam, running in the Virginia Derby, once again at Colonial Downs. This race would mark his graded-stakes debut, as the Virginia Derby is a Grade III event. After taking a few missteps on the backstretch, he recovered and once again drove to the finish line, winning by 3.25 lengths, marking his fourth straight victory and his first career graded stakes win.^[7]

From Colonial Downs, the Grand Slam of Grass moved to Arlington Park for the third leg of the Grand Slam - the Secretariat Stakes. Going into the race as the favorite in his Grade I debut, English Channel was halfway to becoming the first horse to complete the Grand Slam of Grass.^[8]. However, the Secretariat would not be his race. After a long duel at the front with Purim, English Channel was overtaken by Gun Salute, who had been stalking the leaders in third. Gun Salute pulled away slightly, beating English Channel to the wire by 1.75 lengths, ending his win streak and ending his chances at a Grand Slam.^[9]

Frustration hit again in the Turf Classic Invitational at Belmont Park. Making his first start against older horses, English Channel lost by a head bob to Shakespeare after a side-by-side back-and-forth battle to the wire.^[10]

Rounding out his three-year-old campaign, English Channel ran fifth in the Breeders' Cup Turf after tiring in the stretch, only the second time in his career he had finished outside of the top two.^[11]

[edit] Four-Year-Old Campaign

English Channel began 2006 in the same place that he began 2005 - Gulfstream Park. Going off as the 9-5 favorite in the Canadian Turf Handicap, he ran in second throughout, stalking the leader, eventually taking the lead in the stretch and holding off Miesque's Approval to win by three-quarters of a length.^[12]

After a two-month layoff, English Channel shipped to Churchill Downs to once again try to win a Grade I stakes. Unlike his last three attempts, however, English Channel would not be denied in the Turf Classic Stakes. Running third throughout, English Channel again kicked it into high gear when he hit the stretch, engaging in a stretch dual with Cacique. When they hit the wire, English Channel was ahead by a half length, earning his first career Grade I victory.^[13]

English Channel then headed back to Belmont for the Manhattan Handicap. After narrowly missing a Grade I in the Hirsch and a disappointing run in the Breeders' Cup, Belmont would again deny English Channel a win. After stalking the pace per his style, he was unable to get his usual kick when he hit the stretch and finished in fourth, with Cacique winning.^[14]

A month later, however, he would exact revenge upon Cacique. Running for the first time at Monmouth Park in the United Nations Stakes, English Channel rated in fourth for most of the race before they hit the stretch drive. Again, English Channel kicked it into high gear and again, as at Churchill Downs, English Channel held off Cacique to win by a half length.^[15]

In his next race, English Channel's backers picked the worst possible year for him to make his first attempt at the Arlington Million. While English Channel and Cacique stalked the lead in third, The Tin Man, a year old son of Affirmed, set a pace so slow that some would later describe it as "murder". By keeping the field so slow, The Tin Man was able to conserve enough energy for the stretch and a very popular win. Due to the pace, however, English Channel was not able to make a move and finished fourth, slightly more than two lengths behind the winner.^[16]

Pletcher ran English Channel in one final prep before the Breeders' Cup, the Hirsch at Belmont. After missing the win in 2005 by a headbob, it was all English Channel in 2006. Co-entry Icy Atlantic took the lead and kept a slow pace while English Channel ran on the outside. When they hit the stretch, English Channel exploded, pulling away to win by 4.5 lengths.^[17]

In 2006, the Breeders' Cup was at Churchill Downs, the same location as English Channel's first career Grade I win. Considered a favorite to win the race, he had a better run than the previous year, but was unable to keep pace with Better Talk Now and eventual winner Red Rocks, finishing third, over two lengths behind the winner.^[18]

[edit] Five-Year Old Campaign

Going against the modus operandi of the day, English Channel returned for yet another season in 2007, surprising many horse racing fans by starting his season in a Thursday afternoon allowance at Gulfstream. While he may have been entered to the race under the radar, he ran one of the best races of his career. English Channel not only won this race, but he set the course record for 1 1/8 miles and narrowly missed the world record by 0.59 seconds.^[19]

Next, joining fellow American horses Lava Man and Miesque's Approval, English Channel shipped to Nad Al Sheba in Dubai to run in the Dubai Duty Free Stakes. The entire contingent ran terribly, with English Channel running the worst race of his career, finishing in 12th place.^[20]

The frustration continued when English Channel again ran in the Manhattan. While leading in the stretch and fightion off competitors on the outside, Better Talk Now squeezed by on the inside, beating English Channel to the wire by a head bob in a thrilling but highly disappointing finish.^[21]

In his next start, a prep for the upcoming Breeders' Cup at Monmouth Park, English Channel attempted to defend his title in the United Nations against one of the country's top mares, stablemate Honey Ryder. On this day, however, Honey Ryder was no match for English Channel, as he turned away her efforts and drove to the line, beating her by a length and Better Talk Now by two lengths. In addition, he set a course record with his victory.^[22]

From Monmouth, it was back to Saratoga, where English Channel had not run since breaking his maiden as a two-year-old. In the Sword Dancer Invitational, "The Graveyard of Champions" lived up to its reputation, as long shot Grand Couturier ran away from English Channel, winning by three lengths. English Channel had to settle for another second, meaning that at this late stage in the 2007 campaign, he only had one graded win to show for it.^[23]

With just one stakes win in 2007 under his belt, English Channel returned to Belmont, a track that he had only won at once in five starts despite going off on more than one occasion as the favorite. Returning to defend his title in the Turf Classic Invitational, English Channel went off as the 2-5 odds-on favorite. Running his trademark race by rating just a bit off the pace, English Channel entered the stretch and kicked into gear only to be met with a wall of horses in front. After a hole briefly opened, English Channel exploded through it, catching the leader and pulling away to win by 2.25 lengths.^[24]

Coming off of his win in the Turf Classic, English Channel made his third attempt at the Breeders' Cup Turf. Going off as the second favorite behind the odds on favorite Dylan Thomas, English Channel ran in his usual spot just off the lead and pulled away with an explosive stretch move pulling away from second place Shamdinan to finally win the Breeders' Cup Turf. For a horse that had earned a reputation through his career for large winning margins, the seven length win was the largest of his career and the largest winning margin in Breeders Cup Turf history.^[25]

Following his winning efforts in the Breeders Cup Turf, English Channel was retired to stud where he will begin breeding in the 2008 season at Hurricane Hall Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. ^[26]

[edit] Races

Finish	Race	Distance	Track	Date
1st	Breeders' Cup Turf	One and One-Half Miles	Monmouth Park	October 27, 2007
1st	Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Handicap	One and One-Quarter Miles	Belmont Park	September 30, 2007
2nd	Sword Dancer Handicap	One and One-Half Miles	Saratoga Race Course	August 11, 2007
1st	United Nations Stakes	One and Three-Eighths Miles	Monmouth Park	July 7, 2007
2nd	Manhattan Handicap	One and One-Quarter Miles	Belmont Park	June 9, 2007
12th	Dubai Duty Free Stakes	One Mile, 194 Yards	Nad Al Sheba Racecourse	March 31, 2007
1st	Allowance	One and One-Eighth Miles	Gulfstream Park	February 22, 2007
3rd	Breeders' Cup Turf	One and One-Half Miles	Churchill Downs	November 4, 2006
1st	Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Handicap	One and One-Quarter Miles	Belmont Park	October 7, 2006
4th	Arlington Million	One and One-Quarter Miles	Arlington Park	August 12, 2006
1st	United Nations Stakes	One and Three-Eighths Miles	Monmouth Park	July 8, 2006
2nd	Manhattan Handicap	One and One-Quarter Miles	Belmont Park	June 10, 2006
1st	Turf Classic Stakes	One and One-Eighth Miles	Churchill Downs	May 6, 2006
1st	Canadian Turf Handicap	One and One-Sixteenth Miles	Gulfstream Park	March 11, 2006
5th	Breeders' Cup Turf	One and One-Half Miles	Belmont Park	October 29, 2005
2nd	Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Handicap	One and One-Half Miles	Belmont Park	October 1, 2005
2nd	Secretariat Stakes	One and One-Quarter Miles	Arlington Park	August 13, 2005
1st	Virginia Derby	One and One-Quarter Miles	Colonial Downs	July 16, 2005
1st	Colonial Turf Cup	One and Three-Sixteenths Miles	Colonial Downs	June 25, 2005
1st	Woodlawn Stakes	One and One-Sixteenth Miles	Pimlico Race Course	May 21, 2005
1st	Allowance	One and One-Sixteenth Miles	Keeneland Race Course	April 13, 2005
4th	Allowance	One Mile	Gulfstream Park	March 13, 2005
1st	Maiden Special Weight	One and One-Sixteenth Miles	Saratoga Race Course	August 6, 2004

[edit] Breeding

Pedigree of English Channel

Sire Smart Strike	Mr. Prospector	Raise a Native	Native Dancer
			Raise You
		Gold Digger	Nashua
			Sequence
	Classy 'N Smart	Smarten	Cyane
			Smartaire
		No Class	Nodouble
			Classy Quillo
Dam Belva	Theatrical	Nureyev	Northern Dancer
			Special
		Tree of Knowledge	Sassafras
			Sensibility
	Committed	Hagley	Olden Times
			Teo Pepi
		Mistinguette	Boldnesian
			Royal Warrant

[edit] References