RUNHAPPY’s Happy American won his second straight Churchill Downs race Saturday night when the Claiborne Farm-bred closed to win by 2 ¾ lengths.
Racing over 1 ¼ miles on the dirt, he was happy to settle in the back of the pack and let the race play out in front of him nearly 10 lengths off the lead with every other horse in the field over five lengths ahead of him. James Graham was happy to let his mount run where he wanted until they entered the turn where he moved Happy American up just a little closer and the race was on.
Angling out to the center of the track, Happy American galloped passed the entire field in the final furlong to cross the line 2 ¾ lengths in front with his ears pricked.
Trained by Neil Pessin for Lothenbach Stables, Happy American has won three of his starts this year with two other top three finishes in eight starts for nearly $236,000 in earnings.
The colt was a $385,000 Keeneland September Yearling purchase for his racing owner from Claiborne and is a half-brother to the dam of LEA’s Gibberish, who won yesterday’s Turnback The Alarm (G3) at Belmont Park.
Happy American is also a half-brother to Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed Well Monied, who is also the granddam of Grade 3 winner and Kentucky Oaks (G1) third place finisher Will’s Secret. Others Happy American counts as siblings are FLATTER’s Grade 3 winner Economic Model and stakes winner Your Love and the three-time stakes winner Jimmy Simms.