Glen Hill Farm’s homebred NO INFLATION (Repriced), who has been running
consistently well in sophomore turf stakes all summer, was arguably overdue to
win one, and that breakthrough came in resounding fashion in Saturday’s $250,000
Kent S. (G3)
at Delaware Park.
Under an astute, front-running ride by Rosemary Homeister Jr., the Tom
Proctor trainee dictated through steady splits of :24 1/5, :48 1/5 and 1:12
before storming well clear turning into the stretch. No Inflation went on to
record a 6 1/4-length rout while completing about 1 1/8 miles in 1:48 1/5 on the
firm turf.
Out at Night (Aptitude) got up by a length for second, with early pace
presser Dr Large (A.P. Indy) relegated to third. Colonel Rutledge (Orientate)
crossed the wire another half-length back in fourth, while Laureate Conductor
(Bernstein), the 3-5 favorite, wound up last in the field of five. Al Khali (Medaglia
d’Oro), who is headed to Sunday’s Saranac S. (G3) at Saratoga, and Boots Ahead
(Storm Boot) were withdrawn.
With the odds-on Laureate Conductor finishing off the board, the show payoffs
were hefty. No Inflation, the 5-2 second choice, returned $7.20, $3.40 and
$12.40. The 14-1 Out at Night paid $9.80 and $17.40, and Dr. Large yielded
$10.40 at 6-1. The exotics were worth $62.80 (exacta) and $223.20 (2-3-4
trifecta).
No Inflation’s first career stakes victory improved his resume to 11-3-4-1
and nearly doubled his bankroll to $319,803. Since finishing fifth in his stakes
debut in the Rushaway S. over Turfway Park’s Polytrack in March, the bay gelding
has been racing exclusively on turf. No Inflation was runner-up in the Arlington
Classic S., third in the Jefferson Cup S. (G2), a near-miss second in the
American Derby (G2) and most recently fourth in the National Museum of Racing
Hall of Fame S. (G2).
The Florida-bred is the only registered foal from the unraced Unbridled mare
Free to Soar, who is a half-sister to stakes winner Major Focus (Major Impact).
This is the family of multiple Grade 1 hero and sire Jade Hunter (Mr.
Prospector), this season’s Prioress S. (G1) runner-up Light Green (Pleasantly
Perfect) and English and Irish champion two-year-old colt Monteverdi (Ire) (Lyphard).