Undrafted Rallies to Shakertown Score

Undrafted caught a sizzling pace to close into and rallied for the win April 9, taking the $200,000 Shakertown Stakes (gr. IIT) at Keeneland for owners Wes Welker and Sol Kumin.

The 6-year-old Purim gelding had a :20.73 opening quarter and a :43.93 half to run at, courtesy of pacesetter Latent Revenge, who sped out on the lead but folded turning for home. It looked as if 2015 Shakertown winner Something Extra would get the victory after taking the lead off the far turn, but Undrafted got rolling through five eighths in :56.47 and carried jockey Joe Bravo to victory in the nick of time.

"He knows what he's doing. The best thing is for me to stay out of his way," said Bravo, who picked up the mount for trainer Wesley Ward when jockey John Velazquez remained in New York due to other commitments. "Wesley gave me one instruction: 'Get him out in the clear.' He just exploded turning for home. It's pretty fun when a horse jumps up underneath you like that."

The final time for 5 1/2 furlongs on turf rated good was 1:02.96.

Winner of the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Eng-I) at Royal Ascot last June and third in the 2015 running of the Shakertown, Undrafted was a $50,000 purchase from the Runnymede Farm consignment to the 2011 Keeneland September yearling sale. He was bred in Kentucky by Catesby Clay out of the French Deputy mare French Jeannette, and also counts the 2014 Jaipur Invitational Stakes (gr. IIIT) among the wins on his 6-3-8 record from 23 starts.

"He's a really neat little horse; he loves it here at Keeneland," Ward said. "Before his races he gets charged up, no matter where he is. Last winter we came into this race and we were a little compromised by the weather, but this winter we had a really good winter and he never missed a work."

Undrafted, off at odds of 7-2, returned $9, $5, and $3.80. Something Extra held for second by half-length, paying $9.80 and $6.80. Commute closed for third, worth $9.40 to show. Completing the order of finish were Summation Time, Bye Bye Bernie, American Sailor, Rocket Heat, 5-2 choice Power Alert, Latent Revenge, Woodland Walk, The Great War, and Sylven Park.