It's not often that one wins a race at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn., and, a day or two later, decides to ship more than 17 hours east to run in graded company. However, that was exactly the thought process of trainer David VanWinkle with Mad House.
"The meet at Canterbury was coming to an end," VanWinkle said. "We just looked for a 3-year-old stakes race that he could fit in, and we thought we'd try to win this one."
His forward thinking was rewarded Sept. 20 as Mad House led every step of the six furlongs to upset the $400,000 Gallant Bob Stakes (G2) at Parx Racing.
The 3-year-old Vekoma gelding was hustled to the lead early by jockey Paco Lopez and set blistering splits of :21.58 and :43.94.
"I said that he runs better if he could make the lead," VanWinkle said of his instruction to Lopez, who rode Mad House for the first time. "He said, 'Oh, we can do that.'"
The pace never took its toll as Mad House was strong in the stretch and pulled away for a 2 3/4-length triumph in 1:08.77 while rewarding his backers by paying $49.
Heavy favorite Barnes raced last in the early stages before rallying for fourth, but his off-the-board finish led to payoffs of $59.20 to place and $39.60 to show for runner-up Gateskeeper and $30.40 to show on third-place finisher Fire Pit.
After taking six starts to break his maiden, VanWinkle said the light appears to have gone on in Mad House. He has now won four straight races, all since cutting back to 5 1/2 or six furlongs.
The victory was a first in graded company for VanWinkle and owner James Thares, who purchased the gelding for $47,000 at the 2024 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. He has now earned $281,815.
Bred in Florida by Jean White, Wavertree Farm, and SGV Thoroughbreds, Mad House is a fifth graded winner this season for Spendthrift Farm's Vekoma, last year's leading first-crop sire and the leading second-crop sire through Sept. 20.
Video: Gallant Bob S. (G2)
No Bien Ni Mal Stretches out to Win Greenwood Cup
Duplo Ouro Stables' No Bien Ni Mal is feeling right at home in the United States. The Brazilian-bred improved his stateside record to 2-for-2 with a victory in the $200,000 Greenwood Cup Stakes (G3) at Parx Saturday.
Exiting his North American debut with a head victory in Saratoga Race Course allowance company last month, the 4-year-old Hofburg ridgling stalked from third in the 1 1/2-mile contest beneath jockey Joel Rosario. Full of run in the stretch, he outdueled a game Double Your Money to win by 1 3/4 lengths in 2:31.23 while paying $3.40 as the favorite. Praetorian Guard was third.
Winning trainer Paulo Lobo said the goal in bringing No Bien Ni Mal to America was to run in races of 1 1/8 miles or longer.
"All the pedigree is for distance, I think he has a bright future here (in America)," Lobo said. "I'm building him for next year, we have big races next year. He's a very good horse."
Among those long-term goals are a run in the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) next spring. More immediate targets could be the 1 1/8-mile Clark Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs Nov. 28, or, if invited, the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar over 1 1/4 miles.
"If I get invited for the Breeders' Cup, you never know," Lobo said. "A mile and a quarter, he'd love that. He's a very good horse."
Owned by Duplo Ouro Stables, No Bien Ni Mal was bred in Brazil by Haras Santa Maria de Araras.
Video: Greenwood Cup S. (G3)
Nelson Avenue Scores in Parx Dirt Mile
A half-mile shorter in the $300,000 Parx Dirt Mile Stakes, it was a thriller to the wire as Photos Finish's Nelson Avenue ran down pacesetting Dilger in the stretch. Coastal Mission finished third.
Also ridden by Rosario, the 6-year-old Godolphin-bred Into Mischief gelding paid $4.20 to win as he completed the mile in 1:36.13.
Nelson Avenue was making his fourth start for trainer Jorge Abreu, who has liked him since receiving him in late spring. Grade 3-placed on dirt for Abreu, his last two starts have come on turf. Abreu said that although he runs pretty equal on both, he believes he's a touch better on the turf.
