Compliance Officer Crashes West Point Party

by Sarah Mace

In a field containing so many familiar faces from the older male state-bred division, newcomer (and 2011 claim) Compliance Officer carried off the laurels in Thursday’s running of the $100,000 West Point Handicap presented by Trustco Bank at Saratoga, kicking away in the stretch under Alex Solis to win his stakes debut by nearly two lengths.

Trainer Bruce Brown claimed Compliance Officer on behalf of LaMarca Stable for $25,000 from Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence (Terri Pompay, trainer) out of his 2011 seasonal debut going 1 1/16 miles on turf at Belmont on May 14. Compliance Officer finished fourth that day, but the five-year-old gelded son of Officer then went on to win two straight for Brown, both at Belmont for a tag:  a six-furlong restricted second level allowance/optional claimer on June 16 by a nose, and, last out, a seven-furlong turf event under the same conditions by an emphatic 2 ¾ lengths.

Compliance Officer’s recent sharp form, versatile running style and last two Beyers (87 and 91) put him right in the mix for Thursday’s well-matched 1 1/16-mile turf contest. Drawn in the innermost post under Alex Solis, who piloted him to his most recent win, Compliance Officer was bet down to 4-1 and third choice in the field of seven (after the scratches of Straight Story, Banrock and the MTOs). Icabad Crane was the 5-2 favorite and Pocket Cowboys, the 123 pound highweight, was second choice at 7-2.

As expected, the two main speeds of the field, Lubash (16-1) and Writingonthewall (9-1), locked horns right after the break, leading the field through the first three quarters of a mile in measured fractions of 25.04, 50.35 and 1:15.03. Behind the leaders, Linda Rice-trainee Karakorum Legend tracked in third at the rail two lengths from the front, while Compliance Officer raced to his outside in fourth.

Compliance Officer began to move in the far turn under Solis, ranging up into third three wide with good energy. Although the pacesetters were still hanging tough noses apart in upper stretch, Compliance Officer had the stronger kick in the lane, driving past them with a furlong to go and opening up to a 1 ¾-length victory.

Karakorum Legend (11-1) continued to close well into second for his first black type, 2 ½ lengths ahead of Pocket Cowboys, who, after a poor break, collared eventual fourth and fifth place finishers Lubash and Writingonthewall before the wire. Gimme Credit, Icabad Crane and Uncle T Seven completed the order of finish. The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1.44.40 over a good Inner turf course. [VIDEO[4]]

The West Point victory was something of a milestone for trainer Bruce Brown. “I won a little overnight stakes here last year,” Brown said, “but this is the biggest race I’ve ever won, anywhere. It’s great, especially to do it here. I’m a New York-bred guy, and I stay in New York year-round, so it means a lot.”

Brown added, “He had all winter off, so I figured he was fresh [when I claimed him]. He ran consistently last year, so I think they just gave him the winter off because he is a turf horse. A lot of times you get a fresh horse like that, you can have some fun. I didn’t expect to have this much fun!”

Jockey Alex Solis said, “This race was definitely similar to his last race. I knew Lubash was going to be one of the speed horses and we were going to lay behind him. I had my horse in a good position and I could move him any time I wanted to. I just wanted to make sure I had enough horse in the end. When I worked him the other morning [six days earlier], he finished in 23 seconds [for the last quarter-mile]. I was hoping we would finish that way in this race. He is a really nice horse and he seems to get better each time.”

Bred by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Compliance Officer is one of two winners from two foals to start – and only New York bred – out of the winning Dynaformer mare Purple Hills, a $40,000 purchase for the Ramseys at the 2006 Keeneland January sale. Purple Hills’ first foal Make Them Break, a bay gelding by Sunday Break (JPN), is a seven-time winner of $112,720.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2011/08/19/compliance-officer-west-point/

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