The $300,000 Bourbon Flight was a breakout race for Brotha Keny, who won the first stakes race of his career by 1 1/2 lengths over 1-5 favorite Chunk of Gold on Saturday at Churchill Downs. It was another 7 3/4 lengths back in third to Run Quiet Run Fast.
The field for the 1 3/16-mile race for 3-year-olds was scratched down to three following the defections of Hypnus and Excite – who ran second and third in the St. Louis Derby on Friday at Fairmount Park – and Whiskey Shot, Admiral Dennis and Just a Fair Shake.
Brotha Keny ($6.92) set fractions of 23.62 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.78 for the half-mile, 1:12 for six furlongs, and 1:36.68 for the mile as Chunk of Gold tracked in second. Brotha Keny controlled the race from there, as he went on to cover the distance on a fast track in 1:55.89.
Jose Ortiz was aboard the winner for trainer William E. Morey.
“I think I won the race probably passing the wire the first time,” Ortiz said in an interview broadcast by Churchill. “I thought the other horse was going to be a little bit faster than me in the first few jumps, but my horse broke really alert today and I was able to put him forward. And Bill told me, if I could, just make it a match race, and I did that.”
Brotha Keny ran third to Chunk of Gold in the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby in his last start. Prior to that race, he was third in the Grade 3 Indiana Derby.
Brotha Keny is a son of Mo Town who races for Lance Kinross and Steve Kinross.
Harrods Creek
Smoken Wicked picked up the fourth stakes win of his career when he darted to a half-length victory over Jimmy’s Dailys in the $300,000 Harrods Creek for 3-year-olds. It was another 2 1/2 lengths back in third to Optical.
Smoken Wicked ($3.68) tracked leader Semper Primus through an opening quarter-mile in 23.10 seconds and a half-mile in 45.41 before moving to the fore through six furlongs in 1:09.19. The eventual winner maintained his advantage through the stretch run while covering seven furlongs on a fast track in a quick 1:21.73.
“He’s a real racehorse,” winning trainer Dallas Stewart said in an interview broadcast by Churchill.
Brian Hernandez Jr. was aboard the son of Bobby’s Wicked One for Valene Farms.
“He showed his class,” Hernandez said in an interview broadcast by Churchill. “What a special horse he is.”
Smoken Wicked is a Grade 2 winner. He has now won 6 of 15 starts and has compiled career earnings of $711,392.
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