Churchill Downs witnessed a confident maiden victory Thursday as Theodore George powered through muddy conditions to win by 2 ¼ lengths over Cant Stop Munnings.
The 3-year-old chestnut colt by Curlin out of Sweet Tapper (by Tapit) appeared to relish the off track, coming from off the pace to graduate impressively in the 1 1/8-mile contest that was moved off the turf.
Theodore George, given 8-1 odds while adding blinkers for this second career start, overcame a pinched-back beginning to settle into a stalking fifth position around the first turn. Bessamay set the early pace with an opening quarter mile in :24.66 and a modest half in :50.45.
Jockey Danny Sheehy had his hands full as Theodore George pulled him along through the middle stages of the race.
The Winchester Place homebred launched his bid approaching the quarter pole, swinging wide into the stretch before grinding his way to the front in the final sixteenth. He completed the distance in 1:52.10 over the muddy surface.
Cant Stop Munnings (by Munnings) secured second place in the $116,963 maiden special weight event.
Theodore George entered Thursday’s race following a seventh-place finish in his career debut going 8 1/2 furlongs on turf on November 1.
The Michael McCarthy trainee is out of Sweet Tapper, a stakes winner and graded stakes-placed mare who earned $183,231 during her racing career. Sweet Tapper is a daughter of Grade I winner Sweet Talker (by Stormin Fever).
Winchester Place Thoroughbreds’ broodmare also has an unraced juvenile colt by American Pharoah and a yearling filly by War of Will. She was bred back to Gun Runner for her next foal.
With the victory, Theodore George improved his lifetime record to 2-1-0-0 with earnings of $70,465.
