A to the Croft A-OK at Churchill Downs; Albarado Foundation Presents $18,000 Check

Nov 14, 2008 Gary Yunt/Darren Rogers

(November 14, 2008) – Koolmen Racing Stable’s A to the Croft made short work of four rivals to win Friday afternoon’s featured $44,160 Schiller, Osbourn, Barnes & Maloney Purse at Churchill Downs.

Ridden by Robby Albarado, A to the Croft disposed of pace-setting Tazarine leaving the backstretch and had more than enough left to hold off a late bid by Laguna Plateada (CHI) to score by three lengths.

Trained by Ken McPeek, A to the Croft covered the 1 1/16 miles on a fast main track in 1:45.65 and return $5.40, $3.60 and $2.40 as the second choice. Laguna Plateada, ridden by Julien Leparoux, paid $8.80 and $3, with favored Day of Victory, ridden by Calvin Borel, returning $2.40 to show.

A to the Croft, who ran second last year’s Grade I Alcibiades and Spinaway, ran her record to 13-3-3-2 and boosted her earnings to $295,183 with the winner’s check of $28,796. She is a 3-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Menifee out of the Devil’s Bag mare Heart Warmer.

The victory was one of four on the afternoon for Albarado, who also scored with Art World ($19.40) in the first, Thousandkissesdeep ($7.20) in the sixth and White Slippers ($11.40) in the seventh.

Later on the card, The Robby Albarado Foundation presented an $18,000 check to Coalition for the Homeless, a nonprofit organization established to assist homeless individuals and service providers in the area. The foundation was founded in 2007 to assist the homeless, socially and economically disadvantaged, and less fortunate individuals in the Louisville area.

“When I was a young kid I grew up in a very poor area,” Albarado said. “I got a couple of chances from a few people who helped me in racing – and if I can make a chance like that in someone’s life, then that’s what I’m looking forward to.”

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