Kelly Breen may have made more successful claims over the course of his 31-year training career but he was hard-pressed to come up in the immediate aftermath of Train to Artemus' 1 3/4-length victory in the $102,000 Goldwood Stakes June 24 at Monmouth Park.
"This is one of the tops," said Breen. "We've had a couple of stakes winners in the past that we've claimed but not one as repetitive as this filly. She's just very game. I couldn't be more proud of her."
Claimed for $35,000 for owner M and W Stables last Aug. 28, the 5-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Tapizar-out of the Kitten's Joy mare Pay Day Kitten notched her third stakes victory since coming into Breen's care.
In nine starts for Breen, the turf-sprinting specialist has won six times and also has a second.
"I can't believe he got her for $35,000," said winning jockey Paco Lopez. "She's a very nice filly."
Bred by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Train to Artemus raced for her breeders before joining her current stable.
The winning time for the 5 1/2 furlongs over a turf course listed as firm—though the race was contested in a downpour—was 1:03.44.
"It's hard to put into words what this means," said Breen, locked in a three-way tie with Chad Brown and Claudio Gonzalez for leading trainer honors with 10 winners apiece, through Saturday's card. "A few weeks ago (following neck fusion surgery) I was down and out. My wife even said today 'You're going to go to winner's circle in this rain?' I told her I miss days like this."
Able to secure a stalking position in third behind the early speed of Sweet Temperament and Glitter Up through an opening quarter in :21.99 and a first half that went in :45.19, Lopez split horses coming out of the turn and Train to Artemus took off. She paid $4 to win in the field of seven fillies and mares ages 3 and up and recorded her ninth victory in 16 starts. She is 6-for-9 sprinting on the turf.
"Sometimes you have to play the break," said Lopez, now 3-for-3, all in stakes races, aboard Train to Artemus. "This filly broke very well today. She was sitting right where I wanted her behind the speed. So I just had to wait. I knew I had plenty of horse. She never hesitated when we needed to split horses."
Can't Buy Love was second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of longshot Roselba.
