The story is familiar, trainer Mike Maker heads to Kentucky Downs with a turf marathoner, frequently one he claimed, and walks away with a victory in the Grade 2 KTDF Kentucky Turf Cup Invitational Stakes. Five times it happened from 2015-22, and now the winningest trainer in Kentucky Cup history has extended his tally to six.

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Ole Crazy Bone was responsible for extending Maker's record Sept. 6, registering a mild 6-1 upset in the $2,496,667 million race just 2 1/2 months after Maker claimed the 5-year-old Ghostzapper gelding for $100,000  in late June at Churchill Downs. Between his acquisition and the Kentucky Turf Cup, he had been a troubled, fast-closing second in the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup Stakes Aug. 3 at Ellis Park over a shorter 1 1/4-mile distance.

The extra quarter mile proved just what Ole Crazy Bone desired. Gobbling up the additional ground under reigning Eclipse Award-winning rider Flavien Prat, he reeled in pacesetting Corruption on his way to defeating graded stakes winning runner-up Tawny Port by 3 3/4 lengths. The winner advanced from a stalking position behind fractions of :24.20, :48.87, 1:12.89, 1:36.61, and 2:00.75 to complete 1 1/2 miles in 2:24.72 on a course rated good but still quite fast. He paid $15.50 to win.

With the Kentucky Turf Cup part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" Series, Ole Crazy Bone earned an automatic, paid berth into the $5 million Breeders' Cup Turf Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

"(The owner) was already screaming Breeders' Cup when I called him. I'm guessing that's the direction we'll go," said Maker, a winner of three Breeders' Cup races but never in the Turf.

Ole Crazy Bone. (Eclipse Sportswire)

All-sources wagering on Saturday's Kentucky Downs card exceeded $25.3 million, establishing a new track record.

Prat said he was uncertain how much run Ole Crazy Bone had left late on the second turn, but after his mount switched leads in the stretch, "he really engaged and went on and got the job done," Prat said.

Corruption held on for the show, Favored Fort Washington ran a wide and finished sixth.

Bred by Adena Springs in Kentucky out of the stakes-placed Smart Strike mare Southern Gem, Ole Crazy Bone notched his first stakes win of his 19-race career after three earlier stakes placings. Besides the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup for Maker and owner Jay Provenzano's Flying P Stable, he had been third earlier this year in the John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park and second in the 2024 Texas Turf Classic Stakes for trainer Bret Calhoun.

Maker noted the good condition in which Ole Crazy Bone arrived in his stable, saying simply that the horse fit the profile of what he often seeks in a claim.

"I wanted a horse that looked like he'd appreciate a mile and a half. We had the race at Ellis in mind, and this race, of course," Maker said.