Fast and Accurate Scores Spiral Upset

Kendall Hansen's longshot Fast and Accurate continued his improvement by leaps and bounds March 25 with a victory in the $500,000 JACK Cincinnati Casino Spiral Stakes (G3) at Turfway Park, one that left his owner moved to tears—and moved to kiss the ground of the winner's circle at the Northern Kentucky track.

The 3-year-old Hansen colt made a three-wide move in the final turn to hit the front of the 1 1/8-mile test, then held off a late drive on the rail by fellow longshot Blueridge Traveler to prevail by three-quarters of a length.

Hansen is from Crestview Hills in Northern Kentucky and has campaigned and bet horses at Turfway Park for many years. He bred and owned 2011 champion 2-year-old male Hansen, who finished ninth in the 2012 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1).

Hansen the owner was thrilled to be going back to the Derby and thrilled to be the owner of the first graded stakes winner for Hansen the horse.

"I never thought I'd have another horse like him," he said. "But Hansen is the gift that keeps on giving."

Fast and Accurate is not nominated to the Triple Crown but Hansen—using an expletive to emphasize his level of commitment—said the horse would be pointed to the Kentucky Derby. At this point it would cost $200,000 to nominate to the Triple Crown races.

Supplemental nominees for the Kentucky Derby are treated the same as original nominees. If one or more supplemental nominees possess sufficient "Road to the Kentucky Derby" points to qualify for the Derby field, they will be allowed to start over original nominees that possess lesser qualifications.

The victory was the fourth overall and second in a row in the Spiral for trainer Mike Maker, who took the race with Oscar Nominated in 2016.

Another son of Hansen, En Hanse, broke quickly out of post 12 and set the pace, clicking off fractions of :23.22, :46.36, and 1:10.22 through six furlongs, but began to tire in the final turn as Fast and Accurate took command. The winner ran a mile in 1:36.85 and hit the wire in 1:50.96 under jockey Tyler Gafflione.

Fast and Accurate paid $51, $22, and $13 across the board. Horizon Stables' Blueridge Traveler returned $26.60 and $11.60 to place and show while Convict Pike paid $8.20 to show. Favored Kitten's Cat loomed in the stretch but flattened out to finish fourth.

The Spiral was Fast and Accurate's third straight win. He broke his maiden at the $30,000 maiden claiming level Dec. 4 at Turfway, then took to grass for the first time to win the Sage of Monticello Stakes at Gulfstream Park Feb. 20.

Maker said they thought Fast and Accurate needed a confidence builder when they dropped him into the maiden-claiming race at Turfway. He said as a Pennsylvania-bred they hoped there wouldn't be much interest in claiming the horse. Hansen said he was nervous throughout that race day but thrilled with the outcome—a 4 1/2-length victory without being claimed.

Bred in Pennsylvania by John R. Penn, Fast and Accurate is out of the Green Dancer mare It's Heidi's Dance, who has produced six winners from as many starters, including stakes-placed Lady Gi.

Hansen purchased Fast and Accurate for $85,000 from the Wavertree Stables consignment to last year's Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s spring sale of 2-year-olds in training. The owner said he has purchased a number of sons and daughters of Hansen bred in different states with an aim of racing those horses in top races for state-breds. He said he never imagined Fast and Accurate would be a graded stakes winner.