Wadsworth punched his ticket to the $1 million Dueling Grounds Derby (G3T) with a dramatic victory in the Ky Downs Dueling Grounds Derby Preview Stakes Aug. 5 at Ellis Park.
As the winner of the $200,000 1 1/8-mile contest, Wadsworth is guaranteed a starting slot, free of an entry fee, in the Sept. 3 stakes at Kentucky Downs.
A homebred for Godolphin, Wadsworth had already shown his penchant for the Ellis turf with an easy victory in the American Derby July 1. Lining up as the 4-5 favorite in the 11-horse field, the Brad Cox trainee raced far off a blazing early pace set by 53-1 shot Worthington . Navigating through traffic behind splits of :23.37, :46.19, and 1:09.65, Wadsworth found daylight into the run for the far turn and swept four wide around the bend. As the frontrunners succumbed to the early pace, Wadsworth stormed to the front midway down the stretch and outlasted a late surge from Highway Robber to win by a head.
Anglophile , who made a bold move up the fence, was another neck behind in third.
Ridden by Florent Geroux, who once race earlier had captured the Ky Downs Preview Mint Ladies Turf Sprint Stakes aboard Bay Storm , Wadsworth ($3.76) completed the distance on firm turf in a sharp 1:46.30.
“This trip wasn’t as smooth as my victory on Bay Storm,” Geroux said. “Wadsworth overcame a lot in this race and showed a lot of tenacity down the lane. In the first turn, I got shut off. I kept going wide around the turn and was checked again when I tried to improve my position going onto the backside. This was his first time going this far. It’s tough to get a gauge on a horse in this type of situation if they can handle the distance because he had such a tough trip. I’m proud of him and the credit goes to trainer Brad Cox’s team.”
Wadsworth is a 3-year-old son of Quality Road out of the grade-1 winning Medaglia d’Oro mare Dickinson . He earned his fourth win from nine trips to the post.
In the prior race, Geroux guided Bridlewood Farm’s Bay Storm to a rail-skimming score in the $200,000 Ky Downs Preview Mint Ladies Turf Sprint Stakes for older fillies and mares.
Bay Storm takes the KY Downs Preview Mint Ladies Turf Sprint Stakes
The consistent daughter of Kantharos registered her first stakes win since taking the 2022 Incredible Revenge Stakes at Monmouth Park. Multiple graded stakes-placed for trainer Jonathon Thomas, Bay Storm ($5.12) stalked contentious early fractions before darting through a narrow seam on the fence in the final furlong. The 3-2 favorite held on for a neck tally over Quaria Comet with Goin’ Good third.
Racing the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:01.24 on the firm course, Bay Storm earned an all-expenses paid berth to the $1 million Ladies Sprint Stakes (G2T) Sept. 9 at Kentucky Downs.
The final $200,000 Kentucky Downs preview race of the day went to Storyteller Racing’s Hozier .
Hozier wins the KY Downs Preview Mint Millions Turf Mile Stakes
Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, Hozier appears to have found new life since switching surfaces, clinching his first stakes win on the lawn in the Ky Downs Preview Mint Millions Turf Mile Stakes. The 5-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile raced between rivals in midpack through the opening fractions before ranging alongside the pacesetters on the final turn under jockey Alexis Achard. Outbattling his rivals down the lane, he prevailed by a half-length in a final time of 1:34.28 for the mile on grass.
Fuerteventura and Big Dreaming completed the trifecta.
Hozier ($10.76), who sports a bankroll of $739,365 after his Saturday triumph, was awarded a guaranteed spot in the starting gate at Kentucky Downs in the $2 million Mint Millions Stakes (G3T) Sept. 2.
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