Carl Spackler Digs Deep To Out-Finish Talk Of The Nation In Opening Verse

The Edwards family's Carl Spackler had to dig deep to win his first race of 2024, out-battling Talk of the Nation through the stretch to win Thursday's $350,000 Opening Verse Stakes at Churchill Downs. Trainer Chad Brown and jockey Tyler Gaffalione were undoubtedly pleased with the 4-year-old Lope de Vega colt's performance, which saw him complete a mile over the firm turf in 1:35.31.

"His mother was the first horse I trained and won with for this family, so it's a great moment for us," Brown said. "For him to just keep motoring past a really good horse on the inside, after that wide trip and off the layoff, it really impressed me today."

Brown mentioned the Grade 1 Fourstardave at Saratoga as a late summer target for Carl Spackler, who is an Edwards family homebred out of the Grade 2-winning mare Zindaya. Carl Spackler was foaled in Ireland and entered in the Tattersalls October yearling sale, but did not achieve his reserve when bidding stopped at $499,172, so the Edwards retained him to race.

Last year, Carl Spackler won the G2 Hall of Fame and G3 Saranac, but he had not raced since that Sept. 1 start when entered in the Opening Verse. Drawn in post nine and favored at 9-5, Carl Spackler endured a trip that saw him as much as four paths off the rail around the first turn and a solid three paths away from the rail on the far turn, before battling all the way down the stretch.

Meanwhile, eventual runner-up Talk of the Nation and jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. had the frontrunning spot against the rail. They set fractions of 23.95 and 48.11 before turning for home with Carl Spackler ranging up along his outside. The two exchanged a few bumps in the final sixteenth of a mile, but it was Carl Spackler who prevailed by a head at the wire. Talk of the Nation had to settle for second for trainer Todd Pletcher, while Smokin' T, Churchtown, and Skyro completed the top five finishers.