Kentuckian Romps in Lazaro Barrera Victory
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With a clean trip, Fox Hill Farms' Kentuckian showed his unquestioned talent to win the $100,000 Lazaro Barrera Stakes (gr. III) in commanding fashion May 10 at Santa Anita Park.
The 3-year-old son of Tiznow followed up a troubled journey in the San Pedro Stakes April 12 with a 6 1/4-length victory in his graded stakes debut. Forest Blue, coming off a debut maiden special weight win April 18, was second, followed by The Gomper 2 1/4 lengths back in third.
In the San Pedro, Kentuckian was steadied on the rail entering the turn and finished third, but the public forgave him, sending him off as the even-money favorite in the Lazaro Barrera, and he didn't disappoint.
The striking gray colt trained by Jerry Hollendorfer bobbled at the start of the seven-furlong dirt test and stalked San Pedro winner Yiannis through blistering fractions of :21.84 and :43.64, then went three-wide in the turn to take the lead and pulled away under a hand ride by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.
"He was running and they were like two (lengths) in front of me and I'm like, 'God, how fast are they going?' " Smith said. "I knew we were going quick, but after a quarter-mile, he just got into a big, fluid stride, and I was like, 'All right. There you are. Now we're OK.' "
Kentuckian took over to run six furlongs in 1:08.21 and hit the wire at 1:20.97 without feeling a touch of Smith's whip.
"If it was a cinch, none of us would have to work," Hollendorfer said of the San Pedro, which followed Kentuckian's 11-length debut win at Golden Gate Fields March 7. "I'm very pleased with this horse and I'm pleased that (Fox Hill Farm owner Rick) Porter would give me such a well-bred horse."
BALAN: Kentuckian Draws Attention at Golden Gate
Hollendorfer said Kentuckian could land in the 1 1/16-mile $100,000 Affirmed Stakes (gr. III) next, the same race his sire, Tiznow, won in 2000 before winning his first of back-to-back Breeders' Cup Classics (gr. I).
The winner paid $4, $2.80, and $2.40 across the board. Forest Blue returned $7.80 and $3.60. The Gomper brought $2.80.
Yiannis tired after the fast early fractions to finish fourth, followed by Serbian Syclone and St. Joe Bay to complete the order of finish.
Kentuckian was bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings out of the Unbridled's Song mare Forest Music. He was a $610,000 purchase at the Keeneland 2013 September yearling sale. His record now sits at 2-0-1 from three starts and his earnings total $85,080.