Ducduc gets up late to dead-heat Csaba in Hooper

Uncaptured (right) edged Frac Daddy after a thrilling stretch drive (EquiSport Photos/Wendy Wooley) John C. Oxley’s Uncaptured rallied to the lead on the far turn and gamely fought a serious challenge from Frac Daddy through the stretch to prove best in Saturday’s Grade 2, $177,150 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs. The Mark Casse-trained colt confirmed his status as one of the early favorites for the 2013 Run for the Roses, earning 10 points in the new “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series for the gutsy neck score, and Uncaptured swept both graded events at Churchill Downs this fall, posting a 5 1/4-length score in the Grade 3 Iroquois on October 28. Miguel Mena guided the once-beaten son of Lion Heart, who was eager to run when the gates opened and settled into second under a snug hold as Track Rocker showed the way through an opening quarter-mile in :24 1/5. Frac Daddy raced in a perfect stalking position in third on the outside as the field made their way down the backstretch.

Uncaptured continued in close attendance, ready to pounce, through a
half-mile in :49 and the dark bay could wait no longer as they rounded the far
turn, forging his to the front with three furlongs remaining. He passed the
three-quarters mark in 1:13 4/5, with Frac Daddy steadily gaining behind him,
and that rival advanced alongside as they turned into the stretch.

Frac Daddy stuck a head in front as they reached the mile point in
1:38 1/5, but Uncaptured was all heart down on the inside and quickly battled
back to even terms. They battled all the way to the wire, with Uncaptured
surging late for the narrow score.

The final time for 1 1/16 miles was 1:44.97, .02 seconds slower than juvenile
counterpart Seaneen’s Girl, winner of the Grade 2 Golden Rod for fillies two
races earlier.

Favored at 9-5, Uncaptured returned $5.60, $3.20 and $2.60. Frac Daddy, the
5-2 second choice among 13 two-year-olds, finished 1 1/4 lengths better than
Dewey Square, who got up late to edge Tesseron for third. It was almost another
three lengths back to Fear the Kitten in fifth, and Java’s War, Positively,
Track Rocker, Joha, Silver Tongued, Indiano Jones, Lew and Mike and Will Take
Charge completed the final order.

Uncaptured was undefeated in his first four starts, winning three stakes
races in a row before a fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Grey two starts
previously, his first attempt at two turns. He rebounded nicely when cutting
back to a one-turn mile in the Iroquois and cleared the two-turn hurdle on
Saturday.

Frac Daddy, who had just broken his maiden by a 9 3/4-length margin at
Churchill Downs, lost little in defeat. The Kenny McPeek-trained runner-up
appears to have a bright future.

With the $101,047 payday, Uncaptured has now earned $510,837 from his
six-for-seven record. He was bred in Ontario by William D. Graham and sold for
$290,000 as a yearling at the 2011 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. His dam is
the Arch mare Captivating, making him a half-brother to multiple stakes winner
Dancing Raven. Also from his female side of the family is Grade 2 winner Dundalk
Dust and Grade 3 scorer Gentleman Beau.

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