Carl Spackler 'Teaches Them a Lesson' in Gulfstream Win

This column highlights the performances of maidens who have made no more than five starts and who either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings that are grade/group winners, or have dams that are grade/group winners. BloodHorse research shows maiden winners, in particular, who meet these criteria are more likely to go on to be graded stakes winners. 

Gulfstream Park 
Carl Spackler, named for the eccentric groundskeeper played by Bill Murray in the 1980 classic Caddyshack, lived up to the hype with an empathic maiden score Feb. 25 at Gulfstream Park. A homebred for Bob Edwards, who races as e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and breeds under the name Fifth Avenue Bloodstock, the 3-year-old Lope de Vega  colt dashed to the wire 8 3/4 lengths in front of his foes in the midst of an animated race call from Gulfstream track announcer Peter Aiello.

He can do that! He doesn't even need a reason! #8 CARL SPACKLER (IRE) ($2.40) wins the finale at @GulfstreamPark with @jose93_ortiz in the irons! Congratulations to trainer Chad Brown and owner @e5Racing! You know that ✔️ @CBredar and ✔️ @larrycollmus had those tickets! pic.twitter.com/BHa9c0ZDw5

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) February 25, 2023

“Carl Spackler teaches them a lesson,” Aiello bellowed, paying homage to the beloved gopher-chasing character as his namesake dispatched the mile in a tepid 1:34.13 over the firm turf course.

The $70,000 maiden special weight marked the second spin for Carl Spackler, who flashed his talents when dropping a gutting head decision to Far Bridge in his racetrack debut a month earlier over the Gulfstream strip. In that race, the colt struck the front in mid-stretch and looked all but home free until Far Bridge collared the chestnut in the final strides. In arguably one of the most impressive debut times charted all winter on the Gulfstream turf, the pair blazed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:39.57.

Trained by Chad Brown, Carl Spackler is the second foal to race out of the More Than Ready mare Zindaya, who didn’t collect her maiden win until August of her 3-year-old year at Saratoga Race Course for Regis Racing and Christophe Clement. She went on to become a notable performer over the mile, collecting stakes wins at six and seven furlongs in New York before stretching her speed to a mile when landing the 2016 Goldikova Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita Park for Edwards and Brown, who took over her career in May 2016.

Born in Ireland, Carl Spackler was entered in the 2021 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale but, fortunately for Edwards, failed to meet his reserve on a final bid of US$499,172.

The dam of four foals, Zindaya delivered a full sister to Carl Spackler last year. One can only wonder if we’ll see a Maggie O'Hooligan running under Edwards’ colors in a few short years.