Synchrony Crowned the Victor in King Edward Stakes
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Photo: Michael Burns
Synchrony wins the King Edward Stakes at Woodbine
Pin Oak Stable's homebred Synchrony took home his sixth graded win June 29 in the US$136,606 King Edward Stakes (G2T) over one mile on Woodbine's E.P. Taylor turf course.
Four months after the Michael Stidham trainee debuted his 2019 season with a 1 1/4-length score in the Feb. 16 Fair Grounds Handicap (G3T) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, he made a triumphant return to the winner's circle on the Queen's Plate undercard.
"It's one of the most exciting things I think you could possibly look at," Josephine Abercrombie of Pin Oak said of Saturday's win. "I just love it."
Ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, the son of Tapit broke slowly near the back of the pack before showing off his impressive turn of foot. Mr Ritz moved up for the lead to set fractions of :23.65, :46.34, and 1:09.28, stalked closely by Curlin's Honor, who was bumped at the start but recovered to press the pace in second.
Dropping back to seventh as they reached the six-furlong mark, Synchrony was angled out three wide as they entered the top of the stretch, was asked for more, and responded. Synchrony put away Emmaus, Mr Ritz, and, finally, Curlin's Honor to win by one length in 1:32.95 on good turf.
The 6-5 favorite in Saturday's race, Synchrony returned $4.20, $2.90, and $2.30 on a $2 wager. Say the Word got up for third, followed by Emmaus, Mr Ritz, Rose's Vision, Vanish, and Savage Battle.
"I'm very fortunate to ride the horse," said Castellano. "I think he shows some class in the race. I had a lot of trouble on the backside early, and I kind of switched him up a little bit. I was able to ride with a lot of patience, and I rode the best horse in the race. I wanted to show he improved today, and he really did it."
Synchrony entered the race off a neck defeat to Almaanar in the May 25 Monmouth Stakes (G2T) at Monmouth Park. Prior to that effort, he finished seventh in the May 4 Old Forester Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) at Churchill Downs and third in the March 23 Muniz Memorial Handicap (G2T) at Fair Grounds.
Bred in Kentucky out of the grade 1-placed Forest Wildcat mare Brownie Points, Synchrony is a half brother to 3-year-old filly Chocolate Kisses, who took the March 9 Honeybee Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park, and to stakes winner Point System. Brownie Points has a yearling Pioneerof the Nile colt and a Mastery colt foaled April 23.
Synchrony has a 9-4-6 record from 23 starts and $893,251 in earnings.