Verstappen Denies Red Knight in Elkhorn Nail-Biter

If Verstappen  is indeed named for Formula One and world champion racecar driver Max Verstappen, owners Andrew Farm, For the People Racing Stable, and Windmill Manor Farm may have had an inclination of the gelding's ability.

Though his prior 11 starts had not resulted in any earlier stakes victories, the Brendan Walsh trainee's slow-burn style and triumph at Keeneland April 22 in the $350,000 Elkhorn Stakes (G2T), proved his right to stardom.

"We've always liked him. As he was going to get older, we always thought he'd get better," Walsh said.

With periodic drops of rain falling on the field of eight as they left the gate under threatening Lexington skies, Tiz the Bomb  zoomed eagerly to the lead in the 1 1/2-mile turf race while last year's victor Channel Maker  tracked the pace behind him through splits of :24.68 and :49.69. Onto the backstretch after six furlongs in 1:14.93, Verstappen lingered towards the rear end of the field with Red Knight  trailing as a mile passed in 1:40. As the field left the third of three turns after 1 1/4 miles in 2:04.72, jockey Declan Cannon urged Verstappen forward and met with Red Knight who dueled the stretch until a photo finish crowned Verstappen the winner by a head. He was timed in 2:29.28 on good turf.

In third was Another Mystery  who moved up in the stretch under Jareth Loveberry, while Channel Maker finished a solid fourth after chasing the pace.

Verstappen ($34.40) improved his record to 4-3-2 and increased his earnings to $447,846. The 4-year-old son of War Front  's last start was his first try in stakes company, resulting in a runner-up finish behind Wolfie's Dynaghost  in the March 25 Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes at Turfway Park. His other races are a mixture of maiden special weight, allowance optional claiming, and allowance company.

"Coming in here, we said if he ran well today, if he ran in the first three, it would open a big door for him, so I think anything from a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half, I think he's still going to get better and better. I don't think we've seen the best of him yet," Walsh said.

"Declan (Cannon) rode him to perfection. I'm delighted for him. He does a lot of work for me, rides a lot of my work (horses), so it's a great reward. The guys that own the horse are huge supporters of mine, and my own team at home...It's just a great team effort all around."

Bred in Kentucky by Frank Hutchinson, the bay gelding was a $325,000 purchase by Stripes Stable from the Eaton Sales consignment to the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is out of the French stakes-winning mare Andromeda Galaxy , who has two winners from three foals to race. The dam's last reported foal is a 2-year-old daughter of No Nay Never .