In his return, Carl Spackler put on a show in the Maker's Mark Mile Stakes

The son of Lope de Vega, making his first start since the Breeders' Cup, drew off to a commanding 4 1/4-length victory over Integration

Carl Spackler turned in a sensational performance / KEENELAND

Back from a layoff dating to the Breeders’ Cup, Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) delivered a performance to remember, cruising to an emphatic victory in the 37th running of the GI Maker’s Mark Mile S. at Keeneland. The $650,000 event for older turf milers served as Friday’s marquee attraction at the Lexington oval.

With Flavien Prat in the irons for the first time and a cool afternoon setting the stage, the Chad Brown trainee unleashed a powerful stretch run to draw off by a resounding 4 1/4 lengths over Integration (Quality Road), the largest winning margin in the race’s history since its inauguration in 1989.

Owned by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, Carl Spackler stopped the clock in 1:36.56 over a course labeled good, notching his third career Grade I win and remaining undefeated over the Keeneland turf, having previously captured the GI Coolmore Turf Mile last October. As part of Keeneland’s Milestone Trophy Program, e Five was honored with the prestigious Keeneland Tray, recognizing its eighth graded stakes win at the track.

Northern Invader (Collected) showed the way early through fractions of :23.67 and :48.60, tracked by Silent Heart(Heart to Heart) and Funtastic Again (Funtastic), while Carl Spackler sat in fourth with a clear run throughout. Prat gave him his cue rounding the far turn, and the son of Zindaya (More Than Ready) exploded past his rivals in a matter of strides, storming home with daylight to spare.

“When I asked him to go turning for home, he actually responded a little quicker than I expected, to be honest,” said Prat. “He was traveling well, and I thought the leader was getting away with an easy pace, so I swung him out to make sure we’d have a clear shot, and that’s when he really hit the bridle. At the top of the stretch, I thought maybe I had gone too soon—but he was just too good today.”

Now boasting a record of 12-8-1-0 and earnings of $1,910,725, Carl Spackler joins Wise Dan (Wiseman’s Ferry) and Perfect Soul (Sadler’s Wells) as the only horses to sweep Keeneland’s Turf Mile in the fall and return in the spring to win the Maker’s Mark Mile.

Integration, with Frankie Dettori aboard, finished second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Trikari (Oscar Performance), who rounded out the trifecta under John Velazquez.

Shisospicy Wires Field in FanDuel Limestone

Earlier on the card, Shisospicy (Mitole) kicked off the Friday program with a front-running score in the $300,000 FanDuel Limestone S. going 5 1/2 furlongs on turf for 3-year-old fillies.

Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. and trained by José D’Angelo, the Kentucky-bred filly broke sharply and never looked back, holding off a late bid from Dreamaway (Curlin) to prevail by half a length in 1:03.94.

Now a winner of three of five starts with earnings of $285,550, Shisospicy, who races for Morplay Racing, registered her second straight win on grass. D’Angelo confirmed the GIII Mamzelle S. on May 10 at Churchill Downs as her likely next start.

Dreamaway (Flameaway) completed the exacta under Velazquez, finishing half a length ahead of Abientot (More Than Ready), who checked in third.