Fast-Rising Filly Hidden Connection Brings Trainer Calhoun, Young Jockey Gutierrez to the Breeders’ Cup Spotlight
Thoroughbred racing, like so many endeavors, is all about alternative.
Coach W. Bret Calhoun thought he may need missed a chance, Dan Corridor seized one on behalf of Hidden Brook Farm and younger jockey Reylu Gutierrez is hungry to capitalize on his huge probability. All of these situations contain Hidden Connection, a contender within the $1 million NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on “Future Stars Friday” at Del Mar.
Some clarification is so as. When Calhoun attended the Ocala Breeders’ Sale of 2-year-olds in coaching this previous April, he discovered himself drawn to hip quantity 633, a daughter of Join. He thought she is perhaps an ideal match for a consumer that had a comparatively small funds.
“All the pieces was there,” Calhoun stated of the filly. “She was simply small and immature.”
By the point the prospect entered the gross sales ring, Calhoun’s enthusiasm for her had not diminished however his assets had. Different spending rendered him helpless as she failed to satisfy a modest reserve of $55,000. He shortly turned the web page.
“You go on a variety of unhealthy ones and you’re going to go on some good ones,” the veteran coach stated. “I normally don’t ever look again a lot.”
The daughter of Join made a greater look when Corridor eyeballed her as hip 204 on the OBS June Sale. He was significantly impressed when he watched her breeze 1 / 4 of a mile in 21 2/5 seconds.
“It was the way in which she did it and, most significantly, it was her gallop out that caught our eye,” Corridor stated. “She made our first lower there after which on the barn I appreciated her. The remainder is historical past.”
Corridor gladly introduced house Hidden Connection for $85,000 and shortly assigned her to Calhoun to coach. Just a few conversations later, he realized that the brand new filly within the barn was the one he was compelled to go on in April.
“Perhaps it was simply meant for me to get her,” Calhoun stated.
Hidden Connection, Calhoun and Gutierrez quickly shaped a dynamic mixture. “As soon as we began placing her in a breeze sample and began working her in firm, her expertise stage confirmed up instantly,” the coach stated.
She opened different eyes when she debuted in fashion on Aug. 17 at Colonial Downs, drawing off by 7 ½ lengths within the 5 ½-furlong contest for Gutierrez and convincing Black Type Thoroughbreds to companion with Hidden Brook. Then got here the acid take a look at, the 1 1/16-mile, Grade 3 Pocahontas Stakes on Sept. 18 at Churchill Downs. Was {that a} leap too far?
“They’re worlds aside,” Calhoun stated of the 2 races. “However we had been across the filly lengthy sufficient to have a excessive opinion of her. We at all times felt she needed to go farther. One of the best a part of her works had been the finishes and the gallop outs, so we didn’t assume distance can be a difficulty. We thought it is perhaps higher for her. With that being stated, you don’t actually know.”
Hidden Connection emphatically answered the query, roaring off by 9 ¼ lengths and thrilling Gutierrez with each stride. “She shows a large amount of tactical pace, however she will maintain it,” he stated. “It’s one thing you simply don’t actually see in a variety of horses. Rather a lot horses can go quick for half a mile.”
Calhoun welcomes the numerous period of time between the Pocahontas and the Breeders’ Cup. “It was excellent for her as a result of she has run two quick races,” he stated. “The opposite factor is she’s a little bit little bit of a light-bodied filly, so I believed the spacing would assist her so much. I really feel higher in regards to the spacing versus having much less time.”
The Juvenile Fillies will probably be a world other than the Pocahontas. Three-for-three Echo Zulu, educated by Corridor of Famer Steve Asmussen, is a deserving 4-5 favourite after romping by 7 ¼ lengths within the Oct. 3 Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park. Hidden Connection and Brad Cox-trained JuJu’s Map, an authoritative 4 ¼-length winner of the Oct. 8 Darley Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland, share second billing at 5-2.
“We all know we now have a pleasant filly, an excellent filly,” Corridor stated. “How she stacks up towards the remainder of her friends, if the whole lot goes honest for everyone, we’re on the point of discover out.”
The connections by no means wavered of their dedication to Gutierrez, an Eclipse Award finalist because the excellent apprentice solely three years in the past.
“I believed he deserved to experience within the Breeders’ Cup. I’ve nothing however confidence in him and his decision-making,” Calhoun stated. “I had some affords from another high riders to experience her. I mentioned it with possession they usually felt the way in which I did.”
The stakes are extremely excessive. Hidden Connection would certainly safe an Eclipse Award by successful the Juvenile Fillies. For Gutierrez, it will imply the whole lot to him if he can shine on the grand worldwide stage of the Breeders’ Cup.
“Any race of this magnitude can actually push you to the following stage,” he stated, grateful for his alternative.
