Lexitonian Rallies to Take Chick Lang By a Head
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Lexitonian wins the Chick Lang Stakes at Pimlico Race Course
Calumet Farm's Lexitonian rallied with gusto while splitting horses in the stretch under jockey Jose Ortiz and prevailed in the final strides to take the $200,000 Chick Lang Stakes (G3) by a head over Gladiator King May 18 on the Preakness Day undercard at Pimlico Race Course.
Sent off at 17-1 odds in the sprint stakes for 3-year-olds, Lexitonian turned in a much-improved effort in his second start for trainer Jack Sisterson as he posted his first win since a June 27 maiden race at Belmont Park.
The homebred son of Speightstown started his career with trainer Todd Pletcher, then debuted for Sisterson in his first race at 3, finishing fifth in a May 4 optional-claiming allowance race at Churchill Downs at 35-1 odds.
"In my opinion, he ran a better race (at Churchill Downs) than it looked on paper," said Sisterson, a former assistant to Doug O'Neill whose only other graded stakes win came in the 2018 Tempted Stakes (G3) with Oxy Lady. "(Joel Rosario), who rode him, told me that he used him a little bit early and that if he were to ride him back, he'd take him back."
Thoroughbred Champions Training Center's Gladiator King battled with Malpais for the early lead through fractions of :22.65 and :44.82, with Lexitonian a little more than two lengths behind them in third. Gladiator King, a son of Curlin bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, put Malpais away early in the stretch, but Ortiz swung Lexitonian off the rail, moving outside of the leader near the eighth pole, and surged to the lead as they hit the wire in 1:09.74 for the six furlongs.
"When I asked him to go, he was there for me the whole time," Ortiz said. "He didn't switch leads in the stretch, but he was digging in. He was trying, and that's all that matters."
Joseph E. Besecker's Admiral Lynch closed quickly outside of the top two and wound up a head behind Gladiator King in third.
WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and SF Racing's Preamble, the 8-5 favorite, was last in the field of nine.
Lexitonian is the first foal out of Riviera Romper, a daughter of Tapit . The mare also has three unraced foals: a colt by Oxbow and fillies by Animal Kingdom and Raison d'Etat .
The win was his second in five starts and gave Lexitonian earnings of $172,410.