[1] In his first start for trainer Wesley Ward, All Squared Away pulled off a shocker when he won Keeneland’s $200,000 Coolmore Lexington Stakes (Grade 3) at odds of 70-1.
Previously trained by Peter Miller who also co-owns the horse, All Squared Away came into Saturday’s Coolmore Lexington with only a maiden win under his belt. Looking back at his last three starts, All Squared Away finished sixth to Went The Day Well in Turfway’s Grade 3 Vinery Racing Spiral, finished second in an allowance, and seventh in the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby.
“He ran a strong Spiral Stakes so I was surprised that he was 50-1 in the morning-line odds and 70-1 at race time,” Miller said. “He’s always trained like a good horse, like a quality horse. We are thrilled. Over the moon.”
“I’m really thankful to Pete Miller for giving me the opportunity to train – especially from a trainer,” said Ward immediately after the race.
Johannesbourbon set the early pace with sharp fractions of 23:21 and 46:54 for the first two quarters with Castaway and Hammers Terror close behind. All Squared Away and jockey Julio Garcia sat comfortably in fourth before slowly advancing after the half-mile pole. All Squared Away kicked on deep in the stretch to score a 1 ½ length victory over the post-time favorite Summer Front.
Summer Front kept pace with All Squared Away early on, but was unable to stay with him into the stetch.
“It went good,” said jockey Ramon Dominguez who rode Summer Front. “I was following the winner around the half-mile. From then on I just couldn’t outrun the winner.”
Hammers Terror, who’d been bet down to 18-1 from a morning line of 30, held gamely, but was unable to hold off the late charge from All Squared Away and Summer Front.
Castaway, the morning line favorite, went off as third choice in the betting public. He briefly held with Johannesbourbon on the lead, but folded after the half-mile pole and finished ninth.
The Kentucky Derby standings remain unchanged after the results of the Lexington Coolmore. All Squared Away’s $120,000 victory is not enough to put him on the Kentucky Derby’s graded earnings list and, even if it did, the son of Bellamy Road is not Triple Crown nominated, so his connections would have to supplement in order to run him in the Preakness or the Belmont.
The $143.20 win payout broke the stakes record payoff that was set in 2007 when Slew’s Tizzy returned $83 for a $2 win wager.
All Squared Away paid $143.20, $45.80, and $17. Summer Front returned $5.20 and $4.00 and completed the $2 exacta for $842.00. Hammers Terror paid $9.40 and completed the $2 trifecta for $7,998.60. Gold Megillah completed the $2 superfecta for $95,199. The final time for the 1 1/16 mile race over the fast polytrack was 1:42.55.
Keeneland Photo