Bradester captures Mineshaft

Lightly raced Bradester earned his first stakes win in the Mineshaft (Lou Hodges Jr./Hodges Photography) Joseph W. Sutton’s Bradester was making just his second stakes start on Saturday in the Grade 3, $150,000 Mineshaft Handicap at Fair Grounds, and the bay four-year-old prevailed by 1 1/4 lengths on the wire to give jockey Rosie Napravnik her second stakes win on the card. “Sat in a great position, he wanted to wait,” Napravnik said. “I had to urge him along a bit, but he’s classy horse.” Bradester bided his time in third to the outside of Ground Transport as the duo tracked pacesetter Grand Contender through splits of :24, :48 1/5 and 1:12 1/5. The Lion Heart colt continued his wide trip when circling the turn three wide and stuck his head in front of a stubborn Grand Contender in the stretch before proving best by a wider margin on the line. Bradeseter stopped the clock in 1:43 4/5 for 1 1/16 miles on the fast dirt but had to withstand an objection lodged by James Graham for alleged interference in the lane before he could take up a spot in the winner’s circle. The stewards wasted no time in disallowing the objection following a review, and Bradeseter paid $15.40 for the win as the 6-1 fifth pick.

Grand Contender held second by 1 3/4 lengths over Fordubai, who in turn was
three parts of a length up on Ground Transport. Afford, the 39-1 longshot, just
got his neck in front of 2-1 favorite Prayer for Relief to take fifth, while
Micromanage, Stephanoatsee and Mister Marti Gras completed the order of finish.

Trained by Eddie Kenneally, the lightly raced Bradester improved his career
mark to 9-4-3-1, $305,054. The four-year-old bay made his racing debut at
Churchill Downs in October 2012, finishing second in that initial outing, before
breaking his maiden one month later by 3 1/4 lengths. The Kentucky-bred colt
scored in an optional claimer at Gulfstream Park while making his sophomore
debut next out on New Year’s Day, but wasn’t seen in action again until a
runner-up effort in a Saratoga optional claimer in August.

Bradester tried stakes company for the first time in the Indiana Derby and
reputed himself well when second, then suffered his first off-the-board run by
filling the fourth spot in an optional claimer back at Churchill. He closed out
2013 with another placing under the Twin Spires against similar and entered the
Mineshaft off a 2 1/4-length front-running victory at Gulfstream in a January 17
contest.

Bred by Doug Branham, Bradester sold for $13,000 as a Keeneland November
weanling before brining $20,000 a year later at the Fasig-Tipton Easter Fall
Yearling Sale. He made one more trip through the auction ring, selling for
$195,000 at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton Florida Sale as a two-year-old.

Bradester is the first registered stakes scorer out of the winning Grand Slam
mare Grandestofall, who is a half-sister to stakes victor Short Round and
stakes-placed Cat Striker. His third dam is Grade 2 vixen Zealous Connection,
who would go on in the breeding shed to produce Grade 3 hero Here’s Zealous,
Grade 3 runner-up There’s Zealous and stakes diva She’s Zealous.

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