Track Phantom Speeds to Lecomte Victory
Image:
Description:
Photo: Hodges Photography / Amanda Hodges Weir
Track Phantom wins the Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots
The official distance of the $194,000 Lecomte Stakes (G3) is a mile-and-a-sixteenth.
But for all intents and purposes, the Kentucky Derby (G1) prep for 3-year-olds was over at the half-mile pole.
With Track Phantom running easily on the lead in the Lecomte, when the toteboard flashed a leisurely :48.36 for the half-mile, the result seemed pretty cut and dried after that.
Though favored Nash turned in a game effort in chasing the winner throughout, L and N Racing, Clark Brewster, Jerry Caroom, and Breeze Easy's Track Phantom was able to easily fend him off on the final turn and then maintain a comfortable lead in the stretch en route to a decisive 2 3/4-length win over Nash in the Jan. 20 stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
"I couldn't be any prouder of the horse. He's won all three of his two-turn races," said trainer Steve Asmussen after his fourth Lecomte victory. "He has a beautiful way of going and I think he's going to get better. He's a beautiful mover and we're excited to be in this position."
With the Lecomte part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series, the Kentucky-bred son of Quality Road picked up 20 qualifying points through his win, giving him a total of 30 and tying him with Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Fierceness atop the leaderboard.
Track Phantom, bred by Breeze Easy, picked up the other 10 points through a win in the Dec. 23 Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds which underscores the theme of the bay colt being a "road" warrior.
Having won the first two preps on Fair Grounds' Road to the Kentucky Derby, Asmussen hopes to mimic his 2022 path with Epicenter by running Track Phantom in the 1 1/8-mile Risen Star Stakes (G2) on Feb. 17 and the March 23 1 3/16-mile Louisiana Derby (G2). Of course, Asmussen would love to make a slight change from the results of two years ago.
"I love how he's running here in the 3-year-old series at the Fair Grounds and we plan on continuing in it. We like the opportunity to gradually stretch him out," Asmussen said. "We're going to try and follow the same plan as we did with Epicenter, but come up a half-length faster."
The winning connections of Track Phantom in the trophy presentation for the Lecomte Stakes
Epicenter, who would finish second in the 2022 Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes (G1), won the 2021 Gun Runner, and 2022 Risen Star, and Louisiana Derby but finished second by a head in the Lecomte.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was that Nash was sent off as the 6-5 favorite over 7-5 Track Phantom ($4.80). The two met in the 1 1/16-mile Gun Runner, when Track Phantom flashed early speed and won by 1 1/4 lengths with 1-2 favorite Nash three lengths back in third.
In a six-horse field in the Lecomte, Track Phantom's task became a bit easier when Next Level , who chased Track Phantom in the Gun Runner, was scratched.
Nash, trained by Brad Cox, tried to chase Track Phantom in Saturday's matchup, but couldn't keep pace. Ahead by a length after a half-mile, jockey Joel Rosario and Track Phantom brushed aside a bid by Nash on the turn and motored to a safe three-length lead at the eighth pole. He was timed in 1:44.73.
The winner covered the final 2 1/2 furlongs in :31.58 after posting six furlongs in a slow 1:13.15.
Godolphin's Nash, a homebred son of Medaglia d'Oro , was second and picked up 10 qualifying points to give him 13. Walking L Thoroughbreds' Lat Long was 1 3/4 lengths back in third and picked up six points. Ethan Energy was fourth (four points) followed by Tizzy Indy (two).
A son of the Into Mischief mare Miss Sunset , Track Phantom was bought for $500,000 from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is the second foal and first stakes winner from his dam, who also has a 2-year-old Curlin colt named Crystal Pearl and a yearling full brother to Track Phantom.