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	Photo By: Bill Vassar		Bay colt 3; Victory Gallop - Castle Mark (Miner's Mark) Breeder: Harry Bono and Louise Bono (Fl) Owner: James McIngvale Trainer: Tom Roberts Jockey: Chance Rollins

Starter Analysis

Pedigree Analysis

ACOLYTE, with just two starts, is the least experienced horse in the field. One of two in here for trainer Tom Roberts (Objective is the other), and this one will likely be considered to be the outsider of the duo. He's been off for nearly seven weeks since his maiden win, but has turned in a pair of stellar works leading up to this. Roberts is keen on both his horses, and with just a field of seven, he figures to get some say in the outcome. This colt will be making his two-turn debut, which can be daunting anytime, and particularly in a graded stake, but he is a son of Victory Gallop, so distance shouldn't be an issue. More trouble will likely come from the competition; several in here have carded substantially higher speed figures in tougher races. Figures to be a pace factor, but will have a tough time keeping up in the stretch.

ACOLYTE is by Victory Gallop, who was champion older male in the United States in 1999. He was a very consistent racehorse, finishing with a record of 9-5-1 from 17 lifetime starts, 13 of them in stakes, while earning over $3.5 million. His wins included the Belmont Stakes (G1), where he denied Real Quiet the Triple Crown, the Whitney Handicap (G1), and the Stephen Foster (G2), when he set a new track record of 1:47.28 for the 1 1/8 miles. He was the #2 Freshman Sire of 2003 and the sire of 11 individual stakes winners as of this writing. Being by Cryptoclearance, who was a distance-loving runner himself, there should be plenty of stamina in Victory Gallop's offspring. Acolyte is out of the Miner's Mark mare Castle Mark. Castle Mark was unraced, and Acolyte is her first foal; she also has an unraced two-year-old by Exchange Rate. Castle Mark comes from a very nice family that includes the her half sister Star of Goshen, an extremely fast filly who won the La Troienne (GIII) at Churchill Downs; and Powis Castle, a stakes winner over four different campaigns, highlighted by victory in Santa Anita's Malibu (GII).