Living up to his name, RUN AWAY AND HIDE (City Zip) blew past the pacesetting
Merkel (Forest Wildcat) en route to an authoritative 2 1/2-length victory in
Thursday’s $163,000
Kentucky
S. (G3) for juveniles. The Ronny Werner pupil reeled off five furlongs in a
sharp :57 2/5 on the fast Churchill Downs track to remain perfect from two
starts, and kick off the power-packed stakes action building up to Saturday’s
Kentucky Derby (G1).
Merkel charged out of the gate and zipped through his first quarter in :21
3/5, with Run Away and Hide chasing on the outside beneath Robby Albarado.
Turning for home, Run Away and Hide deftly moved up to confront Merkel and
established his supremacy in convincing fashion. The bay colt rolled through a
half-mile in :44 4/5 and widened his advantage to the wire. Dispatched as the
8-5 favorite, the winner rewarded his supporters with mutuels of $5.20, $3.20
and $2.80.
“He had a great trip,” Albarado said. “When you’re going five-eighths, there
really isn’t much to it. Just go fast.”
Garden District (Dixie Union), who was bounced around at the start, advanced
boldly on the turn herself. Although the filly could not match strides with Run
Away and Hide, she was clearly best of the rest by 2 1/2 lengths. Garden
District gave back $3.80 and $2.80 as the 3-1 third choice in the six-horse
field. First-time starter Dream of Kaylee (Cactus Ridge) caught the tiring
Merkel for third by a half-length, paying $4 at 10-1. The exacta was worth
$17.40, the trifecta totaled $99, and with the 5-2 Merkel in fourth, the 6-3-4-1
superfecta yielded $199.20. Essenceofthemoon (Malibu Moon) and Mine All Mine
(Belong to Me) completed the order of finish, while Dicey Riley (Hennessy) and
Final Judgement (Northern Afleet) were scratched.
Run Away and Hide has now bankrolled $134,684 for owners Ronald K. Kirk, John
C. Bates and Michael Riordan. He was coming off a front-running, 3 1/4-length
score in an April 18 maiden special weight at Keeneland.
Bred in Kentucky by Kirk, Riordan and Joint Ventures, Run Away and Hide
RNA’ed for $22,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. He is out of the winning
Runaway Groom mare Jilted, who has also produced an unnamed yearling colt by
Northern Afleet. This is the family of Firery Ensign (Blue Ensign), hero of the
1987 Young America S. (G1); Davide Umbro (In the Wings [GB]), victorious in the
2000 Premio Parioli (Italian Two Thousand Guineas) (Ity-G2); multiple Canadian
stakes queen Like a Gem (Tactical Cat); and current Canadian Grade 3-placed
sophomore Cool Gator (Macho Uno).
Werner revealed that Run Away and Hide would enjoy a freshening.
“He’s definitely going to get some time off because we wheeled him back in
only two weeks to run here,” the trainer said. “I’d say you won’t see him again
for probably a couple months.”