SMARTY JONES S., $150,000, OP, 1-16, 3yo, 1m, 1:36.32, sy.
1–#UNCONTESTED, 117, c, 3, by Tiz Wonderful
1st Dam: Galileo's Star, by Lil E. Tee
2nd Dam: June Gale, by Run For Nurse
3rd Dam: Sharyn Dear, by Duc de Fer
($20,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-Robert V. LaPenta & Harry T.
Rosenblum; B-Richard Forbush (KY); T-Wayne M. Catalano;
J-Channing Hill. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $135,300.
*1/2 to Solitary Ranger (U S Ranger), MGSW, $231,932.[bullet ad=”forbush-farm-bred-raised-and-sold”]2–Petrov, 115, c, 3, Flatter–Saracina, by Bertrando. ($25,000
Wlg '14 KEENOV; $55,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP; $55,000 2yo '16
OBSOPN). O-Rialto Racing Stables & Southern Springs Stables;
B-Sun Valley Farm (KY); T-Ron Moquett. $30,000.[bullet ad=”grovendale-sales-graduate”]3–Rowdy the Warrior, 117, c, 3, Warrior's Reward–Lovely Sage,
by Gentlemen (Arg). O/B-Robert H. Zoellner (OK); T-Donnie K.
Von Hemel. $15,000.[bullet ad=”vinery-rowdy-the-warrior-ftk-winter-mixed-hip-571″]Margins: 5 1/4, 4HF, 2 1/4. Odds: 1.20, 1.80, 9.90.
Also Ran: Warrior's Club, Cu Rahy, Unbridled Eagle, Romeo O Romeo, Love That Lute.
Uncontested, a 'TDN Rising Star' who showed immense promise in his first two outings, broke out with a dominant victory in the Smarty Jones S. at Oaklawn, going straight to the lead and romping through the slop in the first of the Hot Springs track's GI Kentucky Derby prep series.
An impressive six-length victor on debut Oct. 19 at Keeneland to earn his Rising Star badge, the dark bay colt was quickly stepped up in class and ran a solid fourth behind undefeated fellow Rising Star McCraken (Ghostzapper) after setting a fast pace in the two-turn GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. Nov. 26 at Churchill. Bet down to 6-5 favoritism here, Uncontested was just that on the front end, cruising clear through strong splits of :23.04 and :46.21. Second choice Petrov (Flatter) got within striking distance of the front nearing the turn for home, but he was discarded quickly after the leader straightened, and Uncontested bounded home under wraps while drifting out some late to a dazzling first stakes score.
“It worked out how we wanted it to,” winning trainer Wayne Catalano said. “The goal was break and go. You think you want to be on the front end, but when you do that, there's always a cavalry charge. You just have to let it play out. You never want an off-track, but he handled it before OK. Sometimes it rains on the first Saturday in May, so you better be ready.”
Victorious pilot Channing Hill added, “I almost feel bad getting after him. He's a horse that fools you. At the top of the lane, he was traveling really nice and he was handling the track well. He's such a cool, classy little guy. He doesn't lollygag, but he can get a little lazy on you. He was still moving forward, but I just gave him a few taps as a reminder about what we were doing today and he absolutely cruised from there.”
Purchased for just $20,000 in 2014 as a Keeneland November weanling, Uncontested earned 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points from the victory and solidified a spot in TDN's Derby Top Twelve for his performance. His dam's most recent produce is a juvenile Data Link filly named Data Diva, and she was bred to Gemologist last spring.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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