Old Homestead Zips Clear in Lafayette
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Photo: Coady Photography
Old Homestead wins the Lafayette Stakes at Keeneland
After a morning and afternoon laden with sleet and rain, the sun finally broke through the clouds by the time the field went to post for the seventh race of Keeneland's Opening Day card in the April 8 $400,000 Lafayette Stakes.
Marablue Farm and Pegasus Stud's Old Homestead was overlooked by the betting public in the first stakes race of the Keeneland spring meet—the 3-year-old son of Overanalyze had never raced beyond five furlongs and was shipping in having faced lesser company at Delta Downs for trainer Brett Brinkman. Yet the stretch out to seven furlongs or step up to stakes competition didn't faze Old Homestead, who barrelled to the front and never looked back in the Lafayette.
The stakes victory was especially gratifying for journeyman rider Thomas Pompell, who notched the first Keeneland stakes win of his 27-year career on Friday.
"(This win) is on top (of the list of Pompell's career wins)," said Pompell. "It felt great (walking into the Keeneland winner's circle)."
From the get-go, Old Homestead took the 12-horse field, sprinting away from the gate and showing the way through early splits of :22.55 and :45.97. While favored My Prankster began laboring into the far turn and highly touted Money Supply was left with too much to do, Old Homestead kicked clear at the top of the lane, surging under the wire a 3 3/4-length winner.
“(Old Homestead) took it very well," said Pompell. "When I rode him the other two times we just put him out there on the front end and he seems like he does it so easy. Then when I asked him a little bit, he was gone.”
Old Homestead ($21.80) raced the seven furlongs in 1:22.98 on a track labeled as wet fast.
Mark and Nancy Stanley's Surfer Dude , shortening up in trip after a disappointing Lecomte Stakes (G3) finish, ran on to secure second over 25-1 shot Osbourne .
Brinkman was confident in Old Homestead's ability to get the seven furlongs.
“We watched him all winter and then I worked him three-quarters at Evangeline (Downs in Louisiana) before we shipped up, and he gave me every indication he could get the distance," said Brinkman.
Old Homestead, now 3-for-3, boosted his earnings to $212,325.
The bay colt was bred in Florida by Marablue Farm and Pegasus Stud. He is the first foal from the winning Songandaprayer mare Pearl de Vere , who has an unraced Astern 2-year-old filly and delivered a filly by Practical Joke this year.