WinStar Farm homebred American Patriot (War Front) came flying late to upset the GI Maker's 46 Mile S. by a neck at odds of 10-1 and provide trainer Todd Pletcher with a record 51st stakes win at Keeneland. Heart to Heart (English Channel) finished a game second after enjoying a clear lead in the stretch.
“That was really cool,” Pletcher said from Florida of his Keeneland milestone. “We always felt like he had a lot of potential. He was unlucky to not win a Grade I last year. He's trained exceptionally well all winter [at Palm Beach Downs in Florida]. He has run well at Keeneland before [broke his maiden at Keeneland last April] so we knew he would like the turf course.”
Racing between horses near the back of the pack as GISW What a View (Vronsky) ticked off opening splits of :23.25 and :47.18, American Patriot weaved his way between horses on the backstretch run. Four wide at the top of the lane, he came charging late in the stretch and got up just in time to post a dramatic decision.
“It was a good setup–a lot of speed in the race,” winning rider Javier Castellano said. “I spoke to Todd early this morning. I rode with a lot of patience, a lot of confidence. I took my time and turning for home, I let him go a little bit. The way he finished was tremendous. I really like this horse.”
Winner of Delaware's GIII Kent S. last summer, American Patriot checked in a close third in the GI Secretariat S. at Arlington Aug. 13 and was fourth in Laurel's GIII Commonwealth Derby Sept. 24. Given a brief freshening after fading to ninth in Belmont's GIII Hill Prince S. Oct. 8, he was given a class break in his Feb. 16 return at Gulfstream, where he won a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer.
Pedigree Notes:
American Patriot's dam Life Well Lived, bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, carried Casner Racing's colors to a maiden win at Hollywood Park in 2010. The half-sister to WinStar's G1 Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed (Tiznow) is also represented by an unraced 3-year-old filly named Well Humored (Distorted Humor) and a yearling colt by Pioneerof the Nile. She was most recently bred to Super Saver. American Patriot's stakes-winning second dam Well Dressed was acquired by WinStar Farm while in foal to Awesome Again for $150,000 at the 2001 KEENOV sale. She went on to produce the aforementioned Well Armed two years later.
Friday, Keeneland
MAKER'S 46 MILE S.-GI, $300,000, KEE, 4-14, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:34.70, fm.
1–&AMERICAN PATRIOT, 118, c, 4, by War Front
1st Dam: Life Well Lived, by Tiznow
2nd Dam: Well Dressed, by Notebook
3rd Dam: Trithenia, by Gold Meridian
($850,000 RNA Ylg '14 KEESEP). O/B-WinStar Farm LLC (KY);
T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Javier Castellano. $180,000. Lifetime
Record: 11-5-0-3, $475,050. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for
the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”winstar-bred”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″][bullet ad=”taylor-made-tm-for-you”]2–Heart to Heart, 118, h, 6, English Channel–Ask the Question,
by Silver Deputy. (C$25,000 Ylg '12 CANSEP). O-Terry
Hamilton; B-Red Hawk Ranch (ON); T-Brian A. Lynch. $60,000.[bullet ad=”ontario-bred-sold”][bullet ad=”rodenalistair-boughtby”]3–Conquest Panthera, 118, g, 5, Kitten's Joy—
Lastofthsummerwine, by Sky Mesa. 'TDN Rising Star'
($125,000 Ylg '13 FTSAUG; $475,000 2yo '14 OBSMAR;
$100,000 4yo '16 KEENOV). O-Gary Barber; B-Kenneth L. &
Sarah K. Ramsey (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. $30,000.[bullet ad=”taylor-made-tm-for-you”][bullet ad=”lanes-end-sales-grad”]Margins: NK, NO, NK. Odds: 10.50, 4.00, 27.40.
Also Ran: Ballagh Rocks, Blacktype (Fr), What a View, Western Reserve, Inspector Lynley, Bolo, Bondurant, Calculator. Scratched: Conquest Enforcer.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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