'Dan' successful in Alysheba

Stakes records continued to fall at Churchill Downs Friday as Mort Fink's homebred Successful Dan was timed in 1:41 in winning the Grade 2, $337,800 Alysheba for older horses. Not only was it the fastest time achieved in the nine-year history of the event, but it also bested the previous track-record time of 1:41 1/5 set by Brass Hat in 2007.

In winning the Alysheba, Successful Dan, who has missed more than two full years of action due to infirmities, also avenged for his one and only defeat at Churchill. In his last trip over the strip, in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap in November 2010, Successful Dan finished first by a head but was demoted to third after causing interference.

Settled in sixth early by Julien Leparoux, Successful Dan was a good six to seven lengths off the pace set by Plutonium, who turned in early splits of :23 2/5 and :47. Emerging to become his closest pursuer down the backside was Fort Larned, who steadily applied pressure and bid for the lead around the far turn. In close pursuit to the top pair was 8-5 favorite Mucho Macho Man.

Rounding the far turn, Fort Larned moved ahead by a length after six furlongs in 1:10 2/5. Mucho Macho Man looked as if he would make a race of it to the leader's outside, while Successful Dan was also moving swiftly from near the back. In the stretch, Fort Larned clung tenaciously to his lead and ultimately turned back Mucho Macho Man. Farther out was Successful Dan, who made great strides and caught Fort Larned in the final yards to win going away by a length under Julien Leparoux.

Successful Dan returned $10.20, $5 and $3.20 as the 4-1 third choice. Fort Larned finished six lengths clear of Mucho Macho Man, who had 3 1/2 lengths on 24-1 chance Golden Yank. Completing the order of finish were Apart, 2-1 second choice Nates Mineshaft, Colizeo and Plutonium. Scratched from the Alysheba were Boxeur des Rues and Our Dark Knight.

A lightly-raced six-year-old gelding, the Charlie Lopresti-trained Successful Dan was undefeated in three starts at three, including the Grade 3 Northern Dancer at Churchill in June 2009. Sidelined nearly 14 months after that win, he ran second in the Presque Isle Downs Mile in his second start off the bench, and then won the Grade 2 Fayette by three lengths two starts later. Next came the Clark, where Successful Dan outlasted Giant Oak, but was disqualified after interfering with Redding Colliery.

A torn suspensory kept Successful Dan out of action for all of 2011. The veteran finally returned to action on April 6 at Keeneland, 16 months after the 2010 Clark, in a graded stakes quality allowance at about seven furlongs. Showing no signs of rustiness, the gelding led most of the way to win by a length under Leparoux, who has ridden Successful Dan in all but two of his career outings. Successful Dan has now earned $596,608 from a line of 10-7-1-1.

The Kentucky-bred Successful Dan was produced by the winning Wolf Power mare Lisa Danielle, which makes him a half-brother to 2011 Clark winner Wise Dan, recently a daylight winner of the Grade 3 Ben Ali at Keeneland. Successful Dan is also kin to the stakes-winning producer Our Royal Dancer. This is the extended family of multiple German highweight Scalo and Grade 2 winner Siphon City.

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