An hour or so after Good Cheer flew home in the Golden Rod (G2) for fillies, Godolphin made it a sweep of Churchill Downs’ leading juvenile stakes when First Resort pulled off a minor upset of the $381,250 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) on Saturday.
The 6-1 second choice in a field of nine, First Resort worked out a better trip than odds-on favorite Jonathan’s Way, who finished 2 1/4 lengths behind the winner in second. Tiztastic finished third, and was followed by Dapper Moon, Render Judgment, Filoso, Redacted, He’s Not Joking, and Sonic Skidaddle.
First Resort broke well and tracked in second behind Dapper Moon, who proceeded to set a slow pace. Dapper Moon ran the opening quarter in :24.56 and the first half-mile in :49.30. Sensing the time was right to make a bid on the far turn, jockey Luis Saez sent First Resort after Dapper Moon and poked his in front after six furlongs was reached in 1:13.63.
First Resort began to assert himself down the lane and opened up an insurmountable advantage. Jonathan’s Way, who had raced in traffic much of the way, finally got clear sailing in the stretch but had no shot at making up the needed ground, given the pedestrian fractions.
“He was a lot closer than what I wanted him to be, but when I saw the opening quarter I realized why he was up there,” winning trainer Eoin Harty said. “He’s a very talented colt.”
The winning margin was 2 1/4 lengths for First Resort, who covered 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:43.01, about a quarter of a second faster than Good Cheer’s time in the Golden Rod. He returned $14.66.
First Restort earned 10 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby (G1) next May, while Jonathan’s Way, who had previously captured the Iroquois (G3), increased his point total from 10 to 15. Tiztastic earned three points and now has eight, Dapper Moon jumped from four to six points, and Render Judgment earned one point.
This was the second win in four starts for First Resort, who landed his debut at Ellis Park in early July by 3 1/2 lengths. Subsequently second in the Saratoga Special (G2), he next tried grass in the Summer (G1) at Woodbine, where he finished a respectable fourth to European invader New Century.
First Resort was bred in Kentucky and is by Uncle Mo and out of La Brea (G1) winner Fair Maiden, a daughter of Street Boss.
Earlier in the card, Keep It Easy dominated the $225,000 Ed Brown S., scoring by 5 1/4 lengths over odds-on favorite Tough Catch. It was another six lengths back to Glean in the field of eight juveniles.
A four-length maiden winner second out at Churchill in late June, Keep It Easy had been unraced since trailing a field of eight in the Aug. 10 Saratoga Special (G2) following a stumbling start.
Trained by Dale Romans and ridden by Corey Lanerie, Keep It Easy covered 6 1/2 furlongs in a brisk 1:15.42. He is owned in partnership by St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, and CJ Thoroughbreds.
Bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. William Pape, Keep It Easy brought $435,000 at Keeneland September. He’s by Hard Spun and out of the stakes-winning Boxwood, by English Channel.
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