FRANKLIN, Ky. – Epic Ride has taken his trainer, John Ennis on, well, an epic ride the last two years. The horse took Ennis to his first Kentucky Derby and on Saturday at Kentucky Downs, leading nearly all the way in the Mint Millions, he took Ennis to the winner’s circle for the first graded-stakes score of his career.
Winning a graded race – nice, grand, a fine accomplishment. Winning this graded race – huge score. The Grade 3 Mint Millions was worth $2.5 million. Epic Ride, eligible for the whole purse as a Kentucky-bred, took down $1.4 million for Ennis, jockey Edgar Morales, and George Hough’s Welch Racing.
“I knew there was a big one in him,” Ennis said.
Outfooting the very fast Goliad, who went wire to wire in this race a year ago, Epic Ride and Morales made the lead from post 11 while setting splits of 22.41 and 44.83 seconds, which seems incredibly fast for a one-mile turf race, but not on this course. Kentucky Downs called the turf “good” for Saturday’s race but the ground felt and played firm. And Epic Ride held very firm. Asked for more run at the three-sixteenths pole, Epic Ride gave Morales plenty. Up by two lengths at the stretch call, Epic Ride won by two lengths.
“They weren’t getting to him the last furlong,” Ennis said.
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Epic Ride was a good synthetic surface early-season 3-year-old at Turfway Park, during the winter of 2023-24. Ennis placed him ambitiously in his dirt debut, running him in the Grade 1 Blue Grass, and at odds of 51-1, Epic Ride showed speed and grit, holding for third. The Derby went less well, Epic Ride checking in 14th and only returning to racing last October. Ennis returned the horse to sprinting and Epic Ride turned in several strong performances, on dirt and on synthetic, without quite breaking through in stakes competition. Epic Ride tried a turf sprint in June, after which connections decided to geld the horse. His first subsequent start came in Ellis Park’s two-turn prep race for the Mint Millions, and Epic Ride held well for second.
“I felt the one-turn mile here would suit him better,” Ennis said.
Epic Ride, by Blame out of Pick a Ride, by Gio Ponti, was clocked in 1:32.42 and paid $30.54. Lagynos finished second after being smashed in the win pool just before the race started, going off the 7-5 favorite. Lagynos broke from post 13 but got a solid enough stalking trip, just like he had winning the Tapit Stakes here Aug. 28. Racing in hand until about the three-sixteenths, Lagynos could make no late ground on the winner.
“I was very content where I was at the quarter pole,” said jockey Jose Ortiz. “I never thought the winner would keep going.”
Beach Gold nabbed third, three-quarters of a length behind Lagynos and three-quarters ahead of Brilliant Berti, favored until the late money came on Lagynos. Brilliant Berti was 12th in the early going, much farther behind than usual.
“All the way up the hill, he just never engaged for me,” said jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.
Ennis praised Epic Ride for his multi-surface, multi-distance capabilities. For now, he said he’d treat the gelding as a turf miler. Next stop on the journey? The Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar.
Record single-day handle at track
A total of $25,385,003 was bet on Saturday's 12-race card at Kentucky Downs, besting the track's previous record of $21,184,941 wagered last year on the corresponding day. The Saturday card featured six stakes races, and all 12 races had fields of 10 or more.
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