Dunkin Bend victorious in Sapling

Dunkin Bend lived up to his even-money favoritism in the Sapling (Bill Denver/Equi-Photo) Michael Langford’s Dunkin Bend went off as the even-money favorite in Sunday’s Grade 3, $96,000 Sapling Stakes and certainly did not disappoint in his stakes debut at Monmouth Park. The Steve Asmussen charge settled in behind the leaders in third as eventual runner-up Yes I’m Lucky posted splits of :22 2/5 and :46 3/5. Dunkin Bend just bided his time as he slowly closed the gap when making his bid three wide coming around the far turn. “I saw two horses going to the front so I settled him just off of that,” jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. said. “He relaxed very nice and made a good move around the turn. We were a little wide, but when I asked him he kicked on and held well.”  The two-year-old colt drew even with the leaders at the top of the stretch. Yes I’m Lucky hung with the winner as long as he could in the stretch run but it was Dunkin Bend who pulled away late to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths. The son of Dunkirk covered six furlongs in 1:11 4/5 over the fast track to give his sire his first stakes winner.

Yes I’m Lucky had to settle for second. It was another 3 1/2 lengths back to
Run for Logistics in third, who had to overcome an awkward start, and Foileen
was just a head back in fourth. All In Blue, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, was
scratched and will run in Monday’s Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga. Cee ‘n O and
Debt Ceiling were also scratched.

Dunkin Bend ran second in his racing bow at Churchill Downs on June 30 and
broke his maiden next time out by 5 3/4 lengths at Saratoga last month. With
Sunday’s score, the gray paid his supporters $4 to win and increased his
lifetime earnings to $117,000 from a 3-2-1-0 line.

Bred in Kentucky by Thoroughbred Legends Racing Stable, Dunkin Bend is out of
the unraced Vindication mare Misty Run. His second dam is multiple stakes
scorer Unique Creek, who is a half-sister to the stakes-winning Shanekite trio
of Frans
Lass, Shanes Lass and Irishkite. His fourth dam is Metropo Miss, who produced multiple stakes
victors Elegant
Bargain and Bourbon and Blues.

Dunkin Bend sold as a weanling for $21,000 at the Keeneland November sale,
was sold again as a yearling for $53,000 at the Keeneland September sale and
then sold for a third time as a two-year-old in training for $110,000 at the OBS
April sale.

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