FIVE YEAR OLD HORSE-CLEVER TRICK x SADLER’S WELLS x PAGO PAGO

Owner: CENCALL

Record: 1999 - 26/ 10-5-4
Career - 39/ 16-6-7

Earnings: $1,683,563

Stakes:

1st: Breeders Bowl Sprint (G1), Thanks to Aussie, Socalslew and Unbridled Stakes (G2), Voice Of Doom Handicap, Tri For The Gold Special, Above Question Handicap, Woodland Adventure Stakes, Luskin Star Stakes, White Russian Stakes, Deputy Minister Cap, Land Of The Free Special

2nd: That’s Phenominal Stakes (G2), San Valenzuala Breeders Bowl Stakes (G2), Scottsdale BB Stakes, Master Dom Handicap

3rd: Japan Mile (GI), San Pascal Handicap (G2), Kathy Lee Sweatshop Sprint (G3), High Comedy Special

The blue-collar racing fans finally have blue-collar champion in LEVER SPARKY, the Eclipse Sprint Champion. The barrel chested, chestnut horse has been an immense fan favorite as he campaigned from coast to coast to Europe and back and his highest odds were 7/2, in two Grade I, nine furlong stakes. This hard working horse went to work with a lunchpail and a driving will to win, he danced every dance and and dodged no bullets in his championship season.

SPARKY began his year still trying to find his stride. Cencall was still uncertain of how to proceed with this obviously talented horse. He was competing in two turn stakes and was racing well but not with the same authority that he ran with in sprints. His first six races of the year, he had several places and shows in stakes but when his trainer dropped him into the six and a half furlong Land Of The Free Special, he reacted with a five and a half length victory. Next up, the Deputy Minister Cap, and a victory at seven furlongs. His horse had come alive and Cencall could sense the confidence his charge was showing. The Oaktree and Survival Special were next up but the two turn distance seemed to escape from LEVER SPARKY.

At this point, his connections decided to take SPARKY on the road and let him run at the distances he was most confident and adept. He rewarded them with two victories in six and a half furlong stakes. In the Grade III, LaLa Land Handicap he raced evenly, but still picked up a check with a fourth. He bounced right back in New York with a win in the Woodland Adventure. Staying in New York, he was entered in the Grade II, Foolish Bill, and never seemed to get his head into the race. A quick raid to Missouri and a victory in the Above Question and then to California for the Grade III, Kathy Lee Sweatshop. He finished third in the Kathy Lee and returned to New York for the Grade II, That’s Phenominal Stake. He went off as the betting favorite at even money, but lost by a diminishing length. Cencall couldn’t understand how this horse could have so much talent and speed and be unable to deliver in the big stake races.

One of SPARKY’s problems was his running style. He would lay back and relax and loaf early in the race and needed a clear path for his locomotive speed, closing run. More often than not, SPARKY’s losses were due to running out of room, once he got a clear path. Off, Cencall and SPARKY went to Indiana and the Grade II, Thanks to Aussie, Socalslew and Unbridled Stakes. Cencall was looking for the edge to put his horse over the top and decided at the last moment to add blinkers to SPARKY’s equipment. He responded by racing closer to the pace and exploding down the stretch for a definitive victory. The team had finally broken through and all it took was an equipment addition. With renewed confidence, LEVER SPARKY began his quest in earnest. An allowance race in Florida served as a prep for the Tri For the Gold Special. Once again, wearing the blinkers, he prompted the pace and went by easily to the wire and a three length decision. At Indiana in the seven and a half furlong Voice of Doom, Sparky raced just behind the pace setters and charged to an easy victory and a tremendous speed rating of #122.

All the travel, the different race tracks, the shifting distances all combined for LEVER SPARKY’s penultimate moment. When the gates opened in Florida for the Grade I, Breeders Bowl Sprint, SPARKY shocked his trainer and jockey by returning to his earlier style and seemed to be out for a gallop and a view of the grandstand. At the top of the stretch, he was still eleventh, far from the leaders. As the railbirds cheered and screamed for their favorites, SPARKY accelerated like a rocketship and in a rush went to the leader, straining with every stride as the wire approached, faster and faster they came and at the wire it was LEVER SPARKY by a nose. With his victory in the sprint, he became a champion and was claimed as their favorite by the working class stiffs at the rail as one of their own. Looking for a new challenge for his horse, Cencall took him to Epsom and the very lucrative purse of the Grade I, Japan Mile. Sparky had raced only once on the turf and was now going to go head to head with the best turf milers in the world. And such was his charisma, that he was made the 2/1 betting favorite in the stalls. His third place finish was a testament to the Champion’s will to compete.

LEVER SPARKY became a champion by hard work, hard knocks and the courage to never give up. Why do the fans love him so much? Look at his race record and see that his season was very similar to the ups and downs we all experience in life, and ended with a charge and renewed vigor to go for the next goal.

Race ID	Trk	RST	Srf	Dist	Race	Time	SP#	#	PP	C1	C2	C3	FIN	Odds
516.021	FL	3yo+	D	7	Kenny Joe Stk -Stk	1:21	111	12	6	10 5	9 8	6 6	6 6	2.40
488.3411	E2	3yo+	T	8	Japan Mile -G1	1:34 2/5	107	12	3	8 5	8 8	3 6	3 5	2.00
474.0206	FL	3yo+	D	6	Breeders Bowl Sprint -G1	1:09 2/5	111	12	7	11 6	11 8	11 4	1 ns	2.80
460.2002	IN	4yo+	D	7.5	-Stk	1:27 4/5	122	12	5	4 2	4 3	1 1	1 2	1.10
453.0303	KY	3yo+	D	6	Scottsdale BB Stk -Stk	1:08 4/5	114	12	8	9 4	7 6	4 5	2 2	1.30
425.111	OH	3yo+	D	7	The TRI FOR THE GOLD Special -Stk	1:21 4/5	112	12	8	2 1	2 1	2 3	1 3	.90
418.0203	FL	4yo+	D	6	Alw-64400	1:09 2/5	107	12	5	11 3	11 5	8 3	2 1	1.00
404.2009	IN	3yo+	D	6	-G2	1:09	117	12	6	8 3	8 4	3 3	1 3	2.40
390.0408	NY	3yo+	D	7	That's Phenominal Stk -G2	1:21 4/5	111	12	7	7 2	5 3	3 2	2 1	1.10
369.0107	CA	3yo+	D	6	Kathy Lee Sweatshop Sprint -G3	1:09	111	12	4	7 2	7 3	5 2	3 2	2.50
355.2405	MO	4yo+	D	6.5	The ABOVE QUESTION Handicap -Stk	1:15 1/5	116	12	6	9 4	8 7	3 3	1 2	1.30
348.0403	NY	3yo+	D	7	Foolish Bill -G2	1:22 1/5	96	12	10	9 4	9 6	8 7	7 7	1.80
334.0409	NY	4yo+	D	6.5	The WOODLAND ADVENTURE Stakes -Stk	1:15 3/5	111	9	2	9 3	8 5	3 1	1 2	1.10
306.0109	CA	3yo+	D	6	La La Land Handicap -G3	1:09 2/5	101	11	4	7 2	7 4	7 5	4 5	1.40
292.1007	TX	3yo+	D	6.5	The LUSKIN STAR(AUST) Stakes -Stk	1:15	119	10	9	6 3	5 5	4 1	1 3	1.20
271.2309	NB	3yo+	D	6.5	The WHITE RUSSIAN Stakes -Stk	1:15 2/5	113	12	9	9 4	9 6	5 2	1 1	3.20
250.041	NY	4yo+	D	8	The SURVIVAL Special -Stk	1:34 4/5	94	12	6	7 5	8 8	8 9	7 13	2.20
243.0609	AK	4yo+	D	9	Oaktree Handicap -G1	1:49 1/5	96	12	2	6 2	6 4	5 4	5 7	3.90
236.0206	FL	3yo+	D	7	Deputy Minister Cap -Stk	1:21 3/5	115	12	8	7 3	7 5	3 3	1 2	3.80
222.1205	PN	4yo+	D	6.5	The LAND OF THE FREE Special -Stk	1.15	115	7	3	5 3-1/4	4 4-1/2	1 3/4	1 5-1/2	.70
208.0107	CA	4yo+	D	8.5	The MASTER DOM Handicap -Stk	1.41 1/5	110	9	7	1 1/4	1 1	1 1/4	2 4-1/4	2.60
201.0608	AK	4yo+	D	8.5	The EASY MON Handicap -Stk	1.41	94	12	7	4 2-3/4	4 2-3/4	4 5-1/4	6 14-3/4	2.70
194.0209	FL	3yo+	D	9	Glenn Handicap -G1	1.47 1/5	92	12	5	10 7-1/2	10 10-1/4	9 10-3/4	10 25-1/4	3.90
180.0108	CA	4yo+	D	8.5	San Valenzuala Breeders' Bowl Stakes -G2	1.41 4/5	105	12	5	6 4-1/2	5 8	2 7-3/4	2 5-1/2	3.70
173.0107	CA	4yo+	D	8.5	San Pascal Handicap -G2	1.41 1/5	103	12	9	7 5	7 8-1/2	5 8	3 5-1/2	3.60
166.1310	WV	4yo+	D	8	The HIGH COMEDY Special -Stk	1.35 1/5	98	8	4	4 4-1/4	4 7-3/4	2 9-1/2	3 10-3/4	.90
152.2008	IN	3yo+	D	7.5	The Car Dealer -G3	1.27 1/5	115	12	8	4 2	3 3-3/4	1 ns	1 3-3/4	2.30
145.0106	CA	3yo+	D	8	Alw-73100	1.34 4/5	110	5	4	5 2-3/4	4 5-1/2	3 7-1/4	3 6-1/4	1.10
138.2008	IN	3yo+	D	8	Hoosier Classic -G2	1.35	105	12	10	6 2-1/4	9 6-3/4	4 2	3 2-1/2	4.10
124.1110	OH	3yo+	D	8.5	Alw-14200	1.43	94	9	1	4 2-3/4	5 5	1 1	1 5-3/4	-.090
103.0406	NY	3yo+	D	9	Alw-40500NW4x	1.49 2/5	91	8	3	5 3-3/4	4 4-3/4	2 1-1/2	2 6-1/2	.10
96.0407	NY	3yo+	D	8	The BLESS BUSINESS Special -Stk	1.34 4/5	117	12	5	6 2-1/2	7 6	2 3	1 4	1.60
89.0105	CA	3yo+	D	8	Alw-47200NW2x	1.34 4/5	112	9	2	5 4	5 5-1/4	2 1-1/2	1 6-1/4	2.00
82.0509	LA	3yo+	D	7	Beer Belly Bob Challenge -G3	1.21 4/5	98	12	5	8 4-3/4	6 6	7 6-1/4	4 4-1/2	4.10
75.0310	KY	3yo+	D	6	Alw-32300NW1x	1.09 1/5	111	9	5	2 1/4	1 1/4	1 7-3/4	1 4-1/2	2.50
68.0204	FL	4yo+	D	6.5	Alw-64400	1.15 3/5	100	9	3	5 5	4 6-3/4	3 7-3/4	3 5	4.40
61.061	AK	3yo+	D	5.5	MSW-25200	1.02 4/5	109	8	3	2 1-3/4	2 1-1/2	2 1/2	1 3-1/2	2.80
40.0908	NJ	3yo+	T	8	MSW-14900	1.38	58	12	3	10 4	7 6-1/2	7 13-1/4	5 23-3/4	2.00
26.0208	FL	4yo+	D	6	MSW-44600	1.10	82	9	2	5 3	5 6-1/2	6 7-3/4	6 8-1/2	11.60