King for a Day Scores in Sir Barton
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Photo: Rick Samuels
King for a Day wins the Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico Race Course
Stephen Brunetti's Red Oak Stable homebred King for a Day ran to his 2-5 backing May 18 in the $100,0000 Sir Barton Stakes. The 3-year-old Uncle Mo colt topped just four rivals in the 1 1/16-mile test, which is restricted to non-winners of an open stakes. The added-money event was the first stakes race on the Preakness Stakes Day card at Pimlico Race Course.
Coming from off the pace under John Velazquez, King for a Day got the trip in 1:41.40 over a fast strip and was 2 1/2 lengths clear of Tone Broke. V. I. P. Ticket was 4 1/4 lengths back in third. Trifor Gold was fourth and Top Line Growth fifth. Pretty Good Year was scratched.
Top Line Growth, a wire-to-wire winner of his April 22 debut, broke a step slow under Julian Pimentel and failed to get the early lead, which went to Trifor Gold. Trifor Gold showed the way through :23.50, :46.76, and 1:10.36 splits. King for a Day waited just off the leader and was able to get to the front at the head of the lane. Once clear, Velazquez kept busy aboard the winner to the wire.
King for a Day broke his maiden last October at Belmont Park at the Sir Barton trip in his second outing, then shipped to Churchill Downs for the Nov. 24 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2). He had the lead in the stretch but faded late to finish fourth, beaten just two lengths by Preakness contender Signalman. The Sir Barton was his first start of the year. The $60,000 share of the purse boosts his earnings to $120,550.
"He's a horse we've always had very high hopes for," Pletcher said. "He got a little behind schedule to make any of the Triple Crown races, but the owners are very patient. They just wanted to give him every chance to meet his expectations so we gave him a bit of a break this winter. We were actually looking at an allowance race but it didn't go, so this turned out to be good spot."
King for a Day is out of the unraced French Deputy mare Ubetwereven, who has been a prolific mare for the Brunetti family's Red Oak operation. Her second foal, Feel That Fire, is a stakes winner who produced last year's Hopeful Stakes (G1) winner Mind Control (by Stay Thirsty ). Ubetwereven is also the dam of New Jersey stakes winner Ima Jersey Girl (by Lightnin N Thunder). She was bred to Orb for 2019.