INGLEWOOD, Calif. (May 24, 2008) - Trevor's Clever rallied from last on the backstretch to beat 1-5 favorite Madeo by a neck as jockey Joe Talamo manufactured an upset in the Alydar Stakes for the second straight year Saturday at Hollywood Park.
Talamo, who guided 7-2 shot Awesome Gambler to victory over odds-on favorite Cobalt Blue in 2007, provided an even greater surprise Saturday as Trevor's Clever was the longest price in the field of six 3-year-olds at odds of 17-1. The Alydar wasn't in the sequence of Pick Six races, but several upsets resulted in a carryover of $117,113 entering Sunday's program.
Trevor's Clever, a son of Stephen Got Even, covered 1 1/8 miles in a stakes record 1:48.88 while paying $36.30, $7 and $3. Madeo, ridden by Mike Smith, returned $2.20 and $2.10. The show payoff on Exuma with Joel Rosario up was $2.80.
"It was just like we planned it," Talamo said. "He (Ted West) said just kind of keep him close, five or six off the pace. He doesn't have a real big kick . . . he just steadily comes. It was an absolutely perfect trip. We stayed on the rail the whole way and it opened up perfect for us. It was a little tight in there, but once he got through it was clear sailing."
Ted West, the father of trainer Ted. H. West, handled the saddling duties Saturday as his son is in Grand Prairie, Texas, where he runs Stella Mark in Monday's Lone Star Park Handicap.
"He's kind of a big lazy guy and sometimes he will get lost in the shuffle early and it's only because he's just not into the race," West said. "We told Joe when you ask him, you better ask him about a sixteenth of a mile before you really want to because it takes him a sixteenth of a mile to gather himself up and respond to what you want him to do.
"I think he bounced last time he met Madeo," West added. "After the race we did a nuclear scan on him because we couldn't find a thing wrong with him, we were just at a loss. It sure looks like he's back; we beat a pretty decent field today."
Madeo, fifth in his career debut March 1, was a 6½-length winner in his second start three weeks later, then posted an impressive allowance win here April 30 as Trevor's Clever finished 8½ lengths back in seventh place.
Madeo pressed pacesetter Pistol Pete Afleet from the start Saturday, was a length and a half clear with a furlong to run, but could not hold off Trevor's Clever.
"He was very green today," Smith said. "It was like he had never run before. He pulled up, he ducked in, he jumped out . . . he did everything he possibly could to get beat. He's used to running at something. I was throwing him down all I could, but he was just very green."
The victory was the second in seven starts for Trevor's Clever. The $45,810 winner's share of the $76,800 purse increased his earnings to $81,370.
