Spendthrift Farm’s Kingsbarns launched a bold rally leaving the far turn to take a clear lead in upper stretch and rolled home to a 2 1/2-length victory in Saturday’s $1 million Stephen Foster (G1) at Churchill Downs, scoring a 9.95-1 upset in the “Win & You’re In” event for the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar on Nov. 2.
Todd Pletcher trains the four-year-old son of Uncle Mo and Luis Saez was up on Kingsbarns, who notched his first Grade 1 and third graded win. The bay colt completed 1 1/8 miles in a solid 1:48.09.
Kingsbarns rated a couple of lengths back in fourth as odds-on favorite First Mission established splits in :24.13 and :48.38, with 4.26-1 third choice Skippylongstocking prompting the pacesetter on the outside. Saez asked for run nearing the completion of the far turn and Kingsbarns responded with a strong turn of foot, opening a 1 1/2-length advantage in upper stretch.
The winner dominated to the wire, as 10-1 Pyrenees rallied to be a non-threatening second, a head better than Skippylongstocking. It was nearly another length to First Mission in fourth, and Steal Sunshine, 4.07-1 second choice Disarm, Classic Causeway, and Dreamlike completed the order.
“There wasn’t a whole lot of speed in the race so I know we had to be closer to the pace,” Saez said. “Around the far turn he really found his stride nicely and just took me from there. He fought hard down the entire stretch.”
Kingsbarns captured his first three career starts last year, winning a maiden and an entry-level allowance before posting a 3 1/2-length victory in the Louisiana Derby (G2). He wound up prompting a wicked pace in the Kentucky Derby (G1), weakening to 14th, and came back to record a neck second in the Pegasus S. six weeks later, his final outing of his sophomore campaign.
Winner of a Gulfstream allowance and the Ben Ali (G3) at Keeneland in his first two starts this year, Kingsbarns rebounded from a runner-up effort as the odds-on favorite in the May 17 Pimlico Special (G3), exacting a measure of revenge upon Pyrenees, who rallied to upset Kingsbarns by three-quarters of a length at Pimlico.
“We’re extremely proud of this horse’s effort and for the entire team behind him,” Pletcher said. “Obviously winning a Grade 1 is a tremendous accomplishment. I think we’ve seen this year he’s been able to settle better than when he was a three-year-old and show that new dimension. He sat a perfect trip today and really kicked well when turning for home.”
Along with boosting his career earnings to $1,559,060 from a 9-6-2-0 record, Kingsbarns established himself as a possible major player in an older male dirt division lacking depth.
“We’re all thrilled for winning a Grade 1 with this horse,” said Ned Toffey, General Manager of Eric Gustavson’s Spendthrift Farm. “At Spendthrift Farm we are in the stallion making business and winning a Grade 1 obviously means we have to get a stall ready for him in the stud barn when he finishes his racing career.”
Bred in Kentucky by Parks Investment Group, Kingsbarns is the initial stakes winner from the Grade 3-placed Tapit mare Lady Tapit, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Gozzip Girl.
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