Gimme Da Lute Holds On in Los Alamitos Derby

Trying two turns for the first time proved perilous Fox Hill Farms' Kentuckian, as Gimme Da Lute stalked and held off oncoming Prospect Park by a nose to win the $350,000 Los Alamitos Derby (gr. II) July 4.



Kentuckian, the 2-5 favorite, took a lead into the first turn and in the backstretch of the 1 1/8-mile dirt test at Los Alamitos Race Course, setting fractions of :23.20, :46.71, and 1:10.13 through six furlongs, but faded exiting the final turn. Gimme Da Lute and Martin Garcia, who had tracked the leader, a length back in second, assumed control at the top of the stretch and hit a mile in 1:34.92.



Prospect Park's challenge came later, as he got within a length of Gimme Da Lute at the sixteenth pole and kept advancing until the wire, but could not get his nose in front.



"He's just getting better and better, and (trainer) Bob (Baffert) told me to ride him with confidence," Garcia said. "He relaxed nicely and fought it out gamely.''



Off at 3-1 odds, the son of Midnight Lute   owned and bred by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman hit the wire in 1:47.09.



"Gimme Da Lute, he's been working really well, so we were pretty confident," Baffert said of the colt who won the Affirmed Stakes (gr. III) last time out. "We just didn't know what (Kentuckian) was going to do, because you never know when you stretch them out. Gimme Da Lute was wanting (the extra distance). I was just running him in the wrong spots earlier in the year."



Prospect Park, who was also second to Gimme Da Lute in the Affirmed, lugged in during the final furlong, which jockey Tyler Baze felt might have been the difference. He sat in third for most of the race, as many as 2 1/2 lengths behind Gimme Da Lute, before making his closing drive.



"We got a great trip and I thought for sure we were going to win at the head of the stretch," Baze said. "He was just a little green and lugged in, and we got the worst of the head bob."



Even with the lack of two-turn experience, Kentuckian's connections expressed varying degrees of disappointment with his third-place finish, 7 3/4 lengths behind Prospect Park.



"I'm usually not at a loss for words, but I'm in shock right now," said Kentuckian's jockey, Mike Smith, who guided the gray or roan colt to a standout victory in the Lazaro Barerra Stakes (gr. III) May 10 at Santa Anita Park last time out.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer's response was brief when asked about his feelings his colt's race.



"Disappointed," Hollendorfer said.



The winner paid $8.60 and $4.20. Prospect Park delivered $4.20 to place. There was no show wagering with a five-horse field.



Follow Me Crev, who was claimed for $50,000 in his last start at Santa Anita, was three-quarters of a length behind Kentuckian. Pain and Misery was far back in last.



Gimme Da Lute was bred in California, out of the Proud Citizen   mare Casino Gold.