Patch Adam’s returning to scale
Patch Adams sent social media enthusiasts and racing aficionados into overdrive when testing a 12-year track record at America’s most famous racetrack at only his second career start.
The WinStar Farm bred and China Horse Club / WinStar Farm / Siena Farm raced colt defied his inexperience to down his peers by a fast widening ten-and-a-half lengths at Churchill Downs in a time that was just 0.33 seconds off the seven-furlong track record held by champion sprinter Groupie Doll.
Much has been made of the time for a maiden win and rightly so. Groupie Doll scorched her track record in no less than the G1 Humana Stakes in what was the second of four G1 triumphs for the exceptional sprinter and the middle of three ‘majors’ secured in 2012 being sandwiched between her maiden G1 in the G1 Madison Stakes and her tour de force in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Fillies & Mares Sprint.
Time will tell whether trainer Brad Cox can extend the undoubted speed of Patch Adams and transform his undoubted qualities into a Triple Crown contender next season. What is clear is that he has considerable material to work with.
“Patch Adams put in a brilliant performance at Churchill Downs,” summarized Christie DeBernardis, China Horse Club’s Representative for the Americas.
“The manner of his win and the time set was exceptional and it gives us great heart ahead of a new 2025 season which is full of possibilities.
“Trainer Brad Cox thinks he’s a very serious horse, which is high praise coming from him. The question is whether Patch Adam’s can extend that brilliance or not. There are plenty of options for Brad going forward and we will all have to stay tuned to see how it plays out. It will be exciting one way or the other.”
Life Is Good, no doubt an inspiration for mating Patch Adams’ dam Well Humored to Into Mischief to repeat the successful ‘Into Mischief x Distorted Humor’ cross, looked every bit the dominant colt of his generation pre-Kentucky Derby only for a setback to rob him of that opportunity.
At the close of his glittering career, Life Is Good may not have stamped himself as an elite two turn performer but his credentials as one of the fastest and most gifted dirt performers in recent generations was undoubted and has franked the WinStar Farm domiciled stallion as one of the most in demand stallions in Kentucky.