Triple B Farm’s Greyvitos was sent off the 3-1 second choice in Remington Park’s $402,400 Springboard Mile Sunday evening but ran like a favorite to record at 2 1/4-length victory under jockey Victor Espinoza.
The duo broke from the far outside in the 12-juvenile field, and stayed wide throughout the eight-furlong contest. Major Brown ranged up to set the pace while pressed by Redatory through the opening half-mile in :23.51 and :47.16. Greyvitos ran four wide outside of that pair rounding the first turn and down the backstretch.
Espinoza had a snug hold on Greyvitos, but that didn’t stop the Malibu Moon colt from inching forward to run in tandem and then take command of the race from Redatory and Major Brown nearing the final bend. He sailed to the front midway round the turn and held a two-length lead in the stretch that grew to 2 1/4 lengths by the time the gray colt hit the wire.
Trained by Adam Kitchingman, Greyvitos paid $8 for finishing a mile over Remington Park’s fast main track in 1:37.14. Combatant, the 2-1 favorite, ran just behind the front runners about two wide down the backstretch, split rivals while angling out on the final turn, and attempted to run down Greyvitos but couldn’t catch the winner. He proved best of the rest, 5 1/4 lengths in front of 86-1 shot Kingsville on the line. Night Strike followed by another 5 1/4 lengths to round out the superfecta.
Completing the order of finish were Major Brown, Believe in Royalty, Bode’s Maker, Flip the Coin, Brangelina, Redatory, Soul P Say and Flat Lucky.
The Springboard Mile joined the 2017-18 Road to the Kentucky Derby series of points races, and awarded the top four finishers 10-4-2-1 points, respectively, toward a starting berth in next year’s Kentucky Derby (G1). Greyvitos debuted on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard in the 7th spot while Combatant took up 14th and Kingsville resides in 19th.
Greyvitos is now 4-2-0-1, $306,345 lifetime for recording his second straight win in this spot. The colt finished eighth when making his debut over the grass at Santa Anita Park on July 1, then didn’t compete again until running third in a maiden on that track’s dirt October 21. He earned his first victory last out on November 11 when wiring the Bob Hope Stakes (G3) at Del Mar.
Bred in Virginia by Audley Farm Equine, Greyvitos is the first registered stakes scorer out of the multiple Grade 3-winning Najran mare Snow Top Mountain, who is a half-sister to Grade 2 heroine Diversy Harbor and multiple Grade 3-winning millionaire Keertana. That latter mare produced this year’s Palm Beach Stakes (G3) victor Ticonderoga.
