Protonico gamely edges Noble Bird in Alysheba

Protonico (right) came back late to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat (Jim Tyrrell/Horsephotos.com) Protonico (Giant’s Causeway) had a tougher time winning Friday’s $400,000 Alysheba (G2) at Churchill Downs than he did last month’s Ben Ali (G3) at Keeneland, but the four-year-old bravely held off Noble Bird (Birdstone) after a stretch-long duel to take the 1 1/16-mile event for older horses. Conceding the early advantage to Den’s Legacy (Medaglia d’Oro), Protonico tracked in second as that one set splits of :23 4/5, :48 2/5 and 1:12 4/5. Protonico and Noble Bird moved past that Den’s Legacy approaching the eighth pole, with Noble Bird owning a slight advantage, but Protonico re-rallied on the inside to win by a head in a time of 1:42 1/5 over a fast track. The 7-5 favorite, Protonico returned $4.80 for owners Sumaya U.S. Stable and trainer Todd Pletcher.

“He’s game. Todd told me before the race, if he’s laying behind somebody,
when he passes, he’s going to wait. And that’s exactly what he did,” jockey John
Velazquez said. “As soon as he passed the horse who was on the lead (Den’s
Legacy), now he waited. And now he has the other horse on the outside (Noble
Bird). The other horse passed him. Now he realized he had a horse next to him,
and then he started running back. (Noble Bird) got a good neck (on Protonico).
It was hard to come back, but eventually he did it.”

Noble Bird finished 3 1/4 lengths ahead of Neck ‘n Neck (Flower Alley), who
was followed by Den’s Legacy, Honor Code (A.P. Indy), Cougar Ridge
(Johannesburg), Midnight Cello (Midnight Lute), Call Me George (Point Given),
and Ride On Curlin (Curlin). Tarpy’s Surprise (Into Mischief) was scratched.

The disappointment of the field was the regally-bred Honor Code, the second
choice in the wagering, who fell more than 11 lengths off the pace and rallied
only modestly.

“I got the kick but I think I blame it on the track a little bit,” jockey
Javier Castellano said. “Unfortunately the track is kind of loose a little bit
and horses have to like it. I don’t think he liked it very much today.”

Protonico’s first stakes win occurred last September in the Smarty Jones (G3)
at Parx, but he flopped next out in the Pennsylvania Derby (G2) against a field
that included eventual Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Bayern (Offlee Wild)
and Horse of the Year California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit). Protonico rebounded from
that seventh-place finish to take the Discovery H. (G3) at Aqueduct and then ran
a close second in the Clark H. (G1) at Churchill Downs.

Protonico made his four-year-old debut in the February 7 Donn H. (G1) at
Gulfstream, fell far back early and was eased in the stretch. Last time, he led
gate-to-wire to win the Ben Ali by five lengths going nine furlongs.

He moves on to his next assignment, which might be the June 13 Stephen Foster
H. (G1) at Churchill, with a record of 11-6-1-1, $828,587.

Protonico was bred in Kentucky by International Equities Holdings. He was
reared by Alpha Spirit (A.P. Indy), a daughter of Chilean Horse of the Year and
U.S. Grade 1 winner Wild Spirit (Hussonet).

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