Solemn Tribute did not find the winner's circle in four starts for Arnaud Delacour before being transferred to the barn of Brian Lynch, but the dark bay reaffirmed that he has found his best stride with a determined first stakes victory. Solemn Tribute captured a pair of turf sprints at Woodbine in his first two starts for this barn and checked in a narrow third in a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer there Oct. 3. Recently second behind Watchyourownbobber in the one-mile Showing Up S. across town on Halloween, he returned from a brief respite in this contentious spot. Away to an alert beginning, Solemn Tribute set the pace through fractions of :22.94 and :46.89, momentarily ceded the lead to Watchyourownbobber turning for home, but battled back along the inside to score by a nose over the fast-charging Team Colors. “He's done nothing but improve since we got him and he's turned out to be a really neat horse,” said Erin Cotterill, Lynch's assistant trainer. “I was a little concerned when I saw the half in :46, but that's the way he wants to run–he wants to be left alone to do his own thing, and if he's good enough, he's going to keep going. It was a perfect ride by Julien [Leproux]. I know that he had been pointed for this race, and we'll see how he comes out of it and go from there.” Out of GSW and GISP Chimichurri, the winner's dam has a 2-year-old full-sister to the winner and produced another Medaglia d'Oro filly earlier this year. She was bred back to Hard Spun.
TROPICAL PARK DERBY, $79,500, GP, 12-19, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:39.87, fm.
1–#SOLEMN TRIBUTE, 116, g, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: Loving Vindication, by Vindication
2nd Dam: Chimichurri, by Elusive Quality
3rd Dam: Hard Knocker, by Raja Baba
($385,000 Ylg '13 KEESEP). O-Lael Stables; B-Anderson Farms
Ont. Inc. (ON); T-Brian A. Lynch; J-Julien R. Leparoux. $46,500.
Lifetime Record: 9-3-2-1, $132,813.
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2–Team Colors, 116, c, 3, Street Cry (Ire)–Teammate, by A.P.
Indy. O/B-Joseph Allen (KY); T-James A. Jerkens. $15,000.
(DH) 3–Watchyourownbobber, 120, c, 3, Hard Spun–Boodles,
by Mr. Greeley. ($25,000 Ylg '13 KEESEP; $62,000 2yo '14
OBSAPR). O-Kenneth L. & Sarah K. Ramsey; B-Ashview Farm
LLC & Colts Neck Stables (KY); T-Michael J. Maker. $5,625.
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(DH) 3–A Lot, 120, c, 3, Tapit–Overly Tempting, by In Excess
(Ire). ($410,000 Ylg '13 KEESEP). O-Amerman Racing LLC;
B-Liberty Road Stables (KY); T-William I. Mott. $5,625.
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Margins: HD, NK, 1, 1. Odds: 5.00, 3.80, 11.40, 4.10.
Also Ran: Conquest Typhoon, Tweet Kitten, Enjoy the Show, War Story, Eh Cumpari, Element, Big Family. Scratched: Bucchero.
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