South Bend Beats Empty Tomb, Mighty Heart at Keeneland

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 04/17/2021 - 14:53
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South Bend Beats Empty Tomb, Mighty Heart at Keeneland
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Photo: Keeneland/Coady Photography
South Bend wins an allowance race at Keeneland

Following 3-year-old campaign in which he placed in stakes but fell shy of victory in 10 starts, South Bend  took advantage of a class drop into an $82,410 allowance claiming race April 17 at Keeneland, scoring by a length.

The late-running 4-year-old son of Algorithms   raced 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:44.29, defeating Empty Tomb , 2020 Canadian Horse of the Year Mighty Heart , and four other runners. 

The race was the first of the year for the Bill Mott trainee, who was purchased by owners Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, Peter Deutsch, Pantofel Stable last summer following a wide second in the Ohio Derby (G3). Moved from trainer Stanley Hough to Mott, he finished fourth in the Travers Stakes (G1), 15th in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), and seventh in the Belmont Derby (G1T) in his season finale Oct. 3.

South Bend ($9.80) improved to 2-for-2 at Keeneland, where he was successful as a juvenile during a 3-for-4 season. That year captured the Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Saturday's race marked his first start of the year, as it did for Mighty Heart. The latter set the pace with fractions of :48.67 and 1:12.88 before coming under pressure midway on the second turn. He faded to finish 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner in third, a neck behind runner-up Empty Tomb.