Saturday’s inaugural running of the $250,000
Dueling Grounds Derby lived up to its name with an epic battle between brave
front runner My Afleet and 7-5 favorite Medal Count. Although headed by Medal
Count down the stretch, the 8-1 chance exhibited the heart of a lion in his
stakes debut. Refusing to flinch after Medal Count fired his best shot, My
Afleet responded with a last-gasp volley of his own to prevail by a pixel.
Jeffrey S. Amling and Merriefield Farm’s My Afleet was last seen wiring older
foes in a 1 1/2-mile allowance at Saratoga, and the James Lawrence II charge
presented no mystery about his tactics here. The gelded son of Afleet Alex soon
shrugged off early pace rival Laddie Boy and dictated terms beneath Leandro
Goncalves. Woodfield Springs crept into a stalking role, and Medal Count
followed him through to improve his position down the picturesque backstretch at
Kentucky Downs.
Global View likewise took closer order as the field rounded the far turn.
Swinging into the long homestretch, My Afleet braced for the inevitable
challenges. The most dangerous of all was offered by Medal Count, who dove
through on the inside in a potentially decisive move. But My Afleet showed
unswerving resolve, and the two pulled well clear of the rest in a virtual match
race to the wire. My Afleet forced his nostril ahead in time to finish 1 5/16
miles on firm turf in 2:14 and returned $19.
Can’thelpbelieving, the 5-2 second choice, rallied belatedly for third, four
lengths astern of the duelists. Global View tired to fourth, trailed by Captain
Dixie, Rankhasprivileges, Woodfield Springs and the tailed-off Laddie Boy. Proud
Azteca and Pumpkin Rumble were scratched.
My Afleet’s scorecard now stands at 9-3-2-1, $268,860. Unplaced in his two
outings as a juvenile, the gray broke his maiden in his second try this season,
but first-ever turf attempt, at Keeneland April 6. He took four tries to clear
his entry-level allowance condition. Caught by Can’thelpbelieving in a 1
3/8-mile event at Saratoga July 18, he prevailed at that level next time at the
Spa on August 10, and earned his way into stakes company here.
Bred by Amling and C. Noell in Kentucky, My Afleet was produced by the
winning Lasting Approval mare My Own Story, a half-sister to stakes victor Voy
Por Uno Mas.
Earlier in the $200,000
Kentucky Downs Juvenile, Goncalves employed diametrically opposite tactics
to great effect aboard Croninthebarbarian.
Held up last in the 10-horse field in the opening stages, the Garry Simms
trainee overpowered longtime leader and 9-5 favorite Luck of the Kitten in deep
stretch. Croninthebarbarian surged two lengths clear in a final time of 1:26 for
seven grassy furlongs. Luck of the Kitten crossed the wire 3 1/4 lengths to the
good of Czar, who grabbed third in a photo with Skerkis and Reality.
A homebred racing for Ol Memorial Stable, Croninthebarbarian paid $10.40 as
the 4-1 second choice. The Stroll colt was third in his unveiling on the
Churchill Downs dirt, but thrived on the switch to turf in a July 20 Ellis Park
maiden. Despite getting roughed up at the start, he rolled to a 4 3/4-length
decision, and continued his progress on Saturday to up his line to 3-2-0-1,
$143,500.
The Kentucky-bred is out of the Tale of the Cat mare Sweet Ober Melissa, from
the further family of 1987 Irish Derby hero Sir Harry Lewis.
The $204,800
Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies provided the venue for Nicky’s Brown Miss to
break her maiden in her fifth start. In the process, she gave owner/co-breeder
Savino Capilupi his first career win as a trainer.
The seven-furlong affair got off on an unfortunate note when So Cal, the 5-2
second choice, went amiss a few strides from the gate and fell. The debut
Saratoga maiden winner was then vanned off, at last report, in distress.
Meanwhile, Nicky’s Brown Miss was reserved just off the contested pace set by
To Be Determined. Aunt Sherri, another close stalker, took a slim lead in the
stretch, but had no answer to the late thrust of Nicky’s Brown Miss. Perfectly
ridden as a pick-up mount by Francisco Torres, the 8-1 shot rallied to a 2
3/4-length victory and furnished a $19.60 payout. Late Spring, the slight 5-2
favorite, was along for third, and To Be Determined faded to fourth of the 11
who finished.
Nicky’s Brown Miss boosted her bankroll to $133,180 from her 5-1-0-2 record.
The daughter of Big Brown was a well-beaten sixth in both of her outings on the
Monmouth Park dirt, but showed much more on the grass. She was an encouraging
third at Belmont on July 10, and garnered black-type when third again in the
August 10 Colleen back at Monmouth.
Bred by Capilupi in partnership with the Big Brown Syndicate, Nicky’s Brown
Miss was twice an RNA at the sales. She was led out unsold for $67,000 as a
Keeneland September
yearling and for $80,000 at
OBS this March. The bay is the first registered foal from the multiple
stakes-placed Successful Appeal mare Nicksappealinglady, who hails from the
immediate family of multiple Grade 1 star and $1.9 million-earner Ladies Din.
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