Defer denies all in Futurity
Ogden Mills Phipps’ homebred DEFER (Danzig) stalked slow
fractions in Saturday’s $100,000 Laurel Futurity (G3) before
easing to the lead on the outside turning for home and held off
Funk (Unbridled’s Song) through the stretch to take the 1 1/16-mile
fast track event by two lengths.
With Elusive Thunder (Thunder Gulch) setting fair fractions on
the front end of :24 3/5 and :49 1/5, Defer and jockey Jerry
Bailey rated just of the pacesetter and Funk until the three-quarters
pole, where the six furlongs had been run in 1:13 3/5. Sensing a
slow pace, Bailey asked the juvenile for his best run to grab the
lead and drew clear in deep stretch under mild urging to stop the
teletimer in 1:45 2/5.
Defer returned $3.40 and $2.20 as the 3-5 favorite with Funk
giving back $2.40 for second. There was no show wagering. Woody’s
Apache (Cryptoclearance) trailed throughout but earned the show
spot, followed by Elusive Thunder and Malibu Moonshine (Malibu
Moon). Monster Chaser (Meadow Monster) and Killenaule (Fusaichi
Pegasus) were both scratched. The exacta was worth $5.80 while
the 2-3-1 trifecta paid $8.20.
This is the first stakes score for Defer, who now owns a mark
of 3-2-1-0 with earnings of $108,900. The bay previously placed
second in the Nashua S. (G3) after breaking his maiden in early
October for conditioner Shug McGaughey. The Kentucky-bred is the
third registered foal out of the Grade 2-placed Hidden Reserve (Mr.
Prospector), a full sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Educated
Risk. The 10-year-old dam is also a half-sister to champion
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