4/17/05
Last updated: 4/16/05 8:13 PM
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Bandini earned his first stakes victory in the Blue Grass
(Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com) |
Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s BANDINI (Fusaichi Pegasus) earned his first
stakes victory and solidified his status as a top Kentucky Derby (G1) contender
with a smashing performance in Saturday’s $750,000
Blue Grass S. (G1), grabbing
the lead leaving the leaving the far turn and easily drawing off through the
stretch for a six-length decision. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John
Velazquez, the dark bay colt turned nine furlongs in 1:50 over the fast
Keeneland track.
From the first crop of the 2000 Kentucky Derby winner, Bandini made his
career bow last November but didn’t win until his second career outing at
Gulfstream Park in January. He followed that maiden score with an allowance win and
then finished second by three parts of a length to High Fly (Atticus) in the
Fountain of Youth S. (G2). Bandini continued to improve with a visually
impressive performance on Saturday.
“He ran much better today than he did in the Fountain of Youth,” Velazquez
said. “He learns from every race and this experience will teach him even more.
He is much more focused now.”
Spanish Chestnut (Horse of Chestnut [SAf]) sprinted to a clear lead into the
first turn and clocked splits of :23 2/5 and :46 3/5 while being tracked by 5-2
favorite High Limit (Maria’s Mon), who was a half-length back through
three-quarters in 1:10 2/5 and took a narrow lead between calls on the far turn. Bandini stalked the
early pace in third while four wide and began to advance on the final bend,
swooping past the front runners and taking a 1 1/2-length advantage through a
mile in 1:36 3/5.
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“I was quietly confident today,” Pletcher commented. “He had two really good
breezes (at Keeneland), so I was only concerned about our post and his focus. He
has a tendency to be ultra-competitive. It couldn’t have gone any better.”
Sent off the 3-1 co-second choice, Bandini paid $8, $3.80 and $3.20 while
keying the $34.80 exacta with runner-up High Limit, who returned $4.20 and $3.20
after suffering his first career defeat. It was another three lengths back to
12-1 shot Closing Argument (Successful Appeal), who outfinished Sun King
(Charismatic) by a neck for third and was good for $4.40. The trifecta totaled
$217.80 and the 7-5-2-6 superfecta gave back $662.20. They were followed by Consolidator (Storm Cat),
Spanish Chestnut and Mr Sword (Rizzi).
Bred in Kentucky by Marvin Little Jr., James Iselin and Ron McKee, Bandini
was purchased for $500,000 as a Keeneland September yearling and has now earned
$564,180 from a 5-3-1-0 line. The three-year-old is out of the stakes-placed
Divine Dixie (Dixieland Band), who is also the dam of the unraced two-year-old
filly Ashley Hall (Maria’s Mon) and a yearling colt by Pleasant Tap.
