He’s Back! Carl Spackler Wins Maker’s Mark Mile

[Wandering Eyes]

He's not just back, he might be even better than he was last year. 'TDN Rising Star' Carl Spackler (Ire) (h, 5, Lope de Vega {Ire})–Zindaya, by More Than Ready), a back-to-back Grade I winner last year before an uncharacteristic off-the-board finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile, unleashed a scintillating turn of foot in his 5-year-old debut at Keeneland Friday, capturing the $650,000 GI Maker's Mark Mile Stakes by four or five widening lengths. It was GIII Tampa Bay runner-up Northern Invader (Collected) who set the :23.67 and :48.06 pace while Carl Spackler bided his time in fourth on the outside. Flavien Prat gave the e Five Racing Thoroughbreds runner his cue on the turn and the popular chestnut ranged up in full flight while several paths wide and quickly opened up a daylight lead in the stretch. There was no catching the 4-5 favorite as 3-1 second choice Integration (Quality Road), most recently second in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf, chased him home and last year's GI Belmont Derby winner Trikari (Oscar Performance) got up for third.

Among Carl Spackler's six lifetime graded wins was a victory over this course in October when he captured the GI Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes. He covered the eight furlongs in Friday's Maker's Mark over a good course in 1:36.56.

O-e Five Racing Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Fifth Avenue Bloodstock (Ire); T-Chad Brown; J-Flavien Prat.

#6 CARL SPACKLER ($3.66) is back!! The five-year-old horse by Lope De Vega leaves his competition behind in the $650,000 Maker's Mark Mile (G1) at @KeenelandRacing. Flavien Prat was aboard for trainer Chad Brown.

A fitting win during Masters Week! pic.twitter.com/AHcrCWF37r

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) April 11, 2025

Friday, Keeneland
MAKER'S MARK MILE S.-GI, $552,013, Keeneland, 4-11, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:36.56, gd.
1–CARL SPACKLER (IRE), 123, h, 5, by Lope de Vega (Ire)
            1st Dam: Zindaya (GSW, $567,240),
                        by More Than Ready
            2nd Dam: Aristocratic Lady, by Kris S.
            3rd Dam: American Dynasty, by Quiet American
'TDN Rising Star'. (350,000gns RNA Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-e Five
Racing Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Fifth Avenue Bloodstock (IRE);
T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $302,250. Lifetime Record:
12-8-1-0, $1,910,725. Werk Nick Rating: C+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Integration, 123, h, 5, Quality Road–Harmonize, by Scat
Daddy. ($700,000 Ylg '21 FTSAUG). O-West Point
Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing LLC; B-Larkin Armstrong
(KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. $126,750.
3–Trikari, 123, c, 4, Oscar Performance–Dynamic Holiday,
by Harlan's Holiday. ($9,000 Ylg '22 KEEJAN; $27,500 Ylg '22
OBSOCT). O-Amerman Racing LLC; B-Michael A Slezak & Amy
Boll (KY); T-H. Graham Motion. $63,375.
Margins: 4 1/4, 1HF, HD. Odds: 0.83, 3.10, 6.34.
Also Ran: Northern Invader, Grand Aspen, Funtastic Again, Silent Heart. Scratched: Santorini, Seminole Chief.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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