NEWS
Kensei lands graded stakes win with Dwyer romp
Posted: Saturday, July 04, 2009 6:50 PM
KENSEI
Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo
To view the Dwyer Stakes, click here.
by Ron Parker
Kensei, winless in three previous stakes races, put it all together under new jockey Edgar Prado as he stormed home well clear of his opponents in the $200,000 Dwyer Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park on Saturday.
Owned by Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables in partnership with breeder Gulf Coast Farms, Kensei won his career debut as a two-year-old at Saratoga Race Course and opened this year’s campaign with an optional claiming victory at Oaklawn Park. But he had yet to find the winner’s circle in a stakes race prior to the Dwyer.
Sixth in last year’s Futurity Stakes (G2) at Belmont, Kensei looked like an improving colt entering the Dwyer after a third-place finish to Munnings in the Woody Stephens Stakes (G2) at Belmont on June 6 preceded by a runner-up finish in the Derby Trial Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.
The 1 1/16-mile Dwyer drew seven three-year-olds and Just Ben, making his stakes debut, set the pace with American Dance and Kensei tracking the leader through six furlongs in 1:09.30. Warrior’s Reward, heavily favored at odds of 4-to-5, broke last under jockey Calvin Borel and raced at the back of the pack for most of the race.
Turning for home, Kensei overhauled Just Ben and took the lead with late-running Convocation attempting in vain to close from the outside as Kensei rolled to a 3 ¼-length win, crossing the wire in 1:40.47 on a track rated as fast at odds of 6.70-to-1.
“Every step of the way, I was feeling very comfortable,” Prado said. “It felt good. It was a matter of time, and when I turned him loose, he responded. It’s very nice to ride this kind.”
Convocation held on to take second, 2 ¼ lengths clear of Warrior’s Reward, who mounted a late bid but finished a nonthreatening third.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Kensei earned $120,000 for his first stakes win and boosted his career earnings to $228,628 with three wins from six starts.
“You can tell by his progression—in his numbers and in our confidence in him—that he’s headed in the right direction,” said Scott Blasi, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen. “After the allowance race at [Oaklawn], we showed a tremendous amount of confidence in him and a lot of credit goes to Mr. Jackson for giving him the patience and letting him come around.”
Jackson said the Mr. Greeley colt could be pointed to a race at Saratoga, but he also will consider other possibilities.
“We have hard decisions but first we have to see how he comes out of the race,” Jackson said. “Curlin spoiled me; now these horses [Rachel Alexandra and Kensei] are spoiling me. I’m very delighted Kensei came along as he did. It’s all a question of hope, and who emerges is anyone’s guess.”
Kensei is the first starter out of the winning Belong to Me mare Private Feeling.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Ron Parker is a THOROUGHBRED TIMES contributing writer
