Late bloomer Karelian holds off Court Vision to win Maker’s Mark Mile

Karelian wins Maker’s Mark Mile

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Even as Karelian’s injuries piled up, Richard Masson stayed patient.

The primary owner of Green Lantern Stables knew that if his talented but fragile gelding could somehow get healthy, he’d finally deliver on his considerable promise.

The 8-year-old made his owner’s hunch pay off with a rugged 1¼-length victory over Court Vision on Friday in the $300,000 Maker’s Mark Mile on the turf at Keeneland, the first Grade 1 victory of his injury-marred career.

“He’s fought problems his whole career, right now he doesn’t have any,” said trainer Rusty Arnold. “It makes him a good horse.”

Karelian proved it, covering the distance in 1:34.33 while holding off a late bid from favorite Court Vision and paid $7.60, $3.20 and $2.80.

It was a victory years in the making, both for the horse and his owner.

Green Lantern Stables is a small farm located in Versailles, Kentucky, just a few miles from Keeneland. The stable opened 15 years ago and Karelian was among the first horses bred by the farm.

Even as the list of nagging injuries — mostly to Karelian’s feet — piled up, Masson remained optimistic. He also opted to bring Karelian along slowly whenever he hit another setback. If the veterinarian said it would take three months for Karelian to bounce back, Masson would give the horse six or nine months off instead.

Though Masson admitted Karelian is a little old to be peaking, all those injuries may have helped in a way. The Maker’s Mark was just Karelian’s 21st career start.

“When they’re lightly raced when they’re young, they’re sound when they get old,” Masson said. “Yeah, 8-years-old is a long time for a horse that’s had 30 or 40 starts but (not) for a horse like him that’s relatively lightly raced.

Arnold joked he’d “need a book” to put together a full list of Karelian’s injuries.

The horse has never made more than five starts in a year, but seems to have finally put the injury bug behind him. He beat Gio Ponti — the champion older horse and champion turf horse in 2009 — by a nose in Tampa two months ago.

It was all the proof Masson needed to know that his horse was good to go. Finally.

Karelian looked it on Friday. He stalked the lead early, took control with a quarter-mile to go then dug in when Court Vision drew within a half-length deep in the stretch.

“He was perfect,” said jockey Julien Leparoux said.

Tough too.

Court Vision, ridden by Robby Albarado, went to post as the solid 3-2 favorite but didn’t quite have enough. Karelian won convincingly, drawing clear in the final yards to hit the wire with room to spare. Court Vision paid $2.60 and $2.20 to place.

“At every point of the race I thought I had it won, but we just couldn’t get to him,” Albarado said. “He just wasn’t the best horse today and we got beat.”

Society’s Chairman, ridden by Jose Lezcano, made a late charge to third and paid $3.20.

Masson said he’s going to try and enjoy a moment more than a decade in the making before deciding where to send his suddenly red-hot horse next.

“It’s a thrill,” he said, fighting back tears.

(This version CORRECTS SUBS 5th graf to DELETE incorrect reference to stakes record.)