Gulfport, Corona Bolt Top Talented Lafayette Field

As another exciting season of spring racing at Keeneland gets underway April 7, seven 3-year-olds, including stakes winners Gulfport  and Corona Bolt , will go seven furlongs over the main track in the $400,000 Lafayette Stakes.

Trained by Brad Cox for Stonestreet Stables, the Florida-bred Corona Bolt broke his maiden in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight over the dirt at Churchill Downs last fall. He won the Dec. 26 Sugar Bowl Stakes (six furlongs) in his second start at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots to close out his juvenile year.

In his first start of 2023, the colt was a distant sixth in the 1 1/16-mile Southwest Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park. He returned to the Hot Springs surface last out March 5 to win a six-furlong allowance. The son of Bolt d'Oro   seems to relish the shorter distance and will be a strong contender Friday.

The talented Steve Asmussen trainee Gulfport comes off a six-month layoff following a third-place finish in the Oct. 1 Champagne Stakes (G1) going a mile at Aqueduct Racetrack behind Verifying  and Blazing Sevens .

The Uncle Mo   colt was an impressive maiden winner, taking his first race (a five-furlong maiden special weight) by seven lengths at Churchill last June. He then demolished the Bashford Manor Stakes going six furlongs, cruising by 12 1/4 lengths in front of Owen's Leap  and grade 2 winner Andthewinneris .

Campaigned by William and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm, Whispering Oaks Farm, and Coolmore Stud, the colt moved into graded company for his next two starts. He finished second in both the Saratoga Special (G2) and the Hopeful (G1)—where he was three lengths behind eventual champion 2-year-old and early Kentucky Derby (G1) favorite Forte .

Zedan Racing Stables' $3.55 million purchase from the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, Hejazi , has yet to win in stakes company after two tries at the graded level, a third in the 2022 American Pharoah Stakes (G1) and a fourth last out in the San Felipe Stakes (G1)—both at Santa Anita Park. The Bob Baffert trainee's only win was a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight this year.

Other Lafayette contenders include Jerome Stakes winner Lugan Knight , 2022 Gun Runner Stakes third Determinedly , Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) seventh Hurricane J , and maiden special weight winner Freezing Point .

Determinedly cuts back to a sprint after running long this winter at Fair Grounds.

"We are trying to find the right niche for him," Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said.

Entries: Lafayette S.

Keeneland, Friday, April 07, 2023, Race 7

• STK
• 7f
• Dirt
• $400,000
• 3 yo
• 4:12 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Gulfport (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Steven M. Asmussen	7/2
2	2Lugan Knight (KY)	Luis Saez	118	Michael W. McCarthy	8/1
3	3Hejazi (NY)	John R. Velazquez	118	Bob Baffert	8/5
4	4Determinedly (KY)	Flavien Prat	118	Mark E. Casse	5/1
5	5Corona Bolt (FL)	Florent Geroux	118	Brad H. Cox	5/2
6	6Freezing Point (KY)	Gerardo Corrales	118	Joe Lejzerowicz	30/1
7	7Hurricane J (KY)	Joseph Talamo	118	Paulo H. Lobo	20/1