Kenner Stakes ($100.000 Purse)
FG- For Four Year Olds and Upward
Five and a Half Furlongs on the Turf
January 22, 2022

Last year, Kid Commander finished third in the BC Turf Sprint, so that would instantly make him the one to beat here in the Kenner Stakes. You would have thought so, anyway, as our pick to win the race would go off at odds of 6/1. The wagering public were a little more interested in Four Leaf, and there would be good reason to like him as well, and it would be these two finishing in the top two spots. After Kid Commander ran in the BC Turf Sprint, he was put back out there after three weeks of rest for the AQU Turf Sprint Championship, where he ran second. He wouldn’t be the only BC runner in this field, but he would get the job done here for trainer Allinthegate and jockey J R Velazquez. Each of them win this stake for the first time. Congratulations to them! The time of the race would be 1:02.02, better than last year, which was the only other time the race ran at this distance. Let’s take a look!

(¼ Mile- :22.41)- Out of the gate, Blown Coverage and Elijah G, running for Angelos Stable and Mb Stables respectively, are the quickest of them all and are side by side as they go down the backstretch. Give Blown Coverage the slight advantage after a quarter mile. Stalking them would be Four Leaf, the second Angelos Stable entry, as he looked to win his fourth in a row. Laffin Funky ran to his outside for Nakamura Stables. It would be another length and a half to the remaining three, with Autumn Blitz (Choppy Inc) on the inside, Cover Photo (Axeman) in the middle, and our eventual winner, Allinthegate’s Kid Commander on the outside. They only had four lengths to make up on the frontrunners.

(½ Mile- :44.83, Top Of Stretch, 1.7F To Go)- Blown Coverage and Elijah G continue to lead the way as they still run side by side, keeping one another company throughout the turn and moving into the stretch. They would allow a big hole to open up on the rail, and that would make Four Leaf happy. Of course, that’s what stablemates are supposed to do for one another in a race. Laffin Funky began to drop back, and we had yet to see a move from any of the three that had been in the back. So for Kid Commander, this meant still running about four lengths from the lead with time running out. He was a bit ahead of Autumn Blitz and Cover Photo at this point, though.

(Finish- 1:02.02)- With a furlong to go, it seemed as though the race would be decided between Blown Coverage, Elijah G, and Four Leaf. Kid Commander still had to make up a lot of ground, about two lengths, and had to do it on all three of them. He had been making progress, but it did not seem as though he was making enough of it. Approaching the wire, he would be in an all out drive, and as Blown Coverge dropped out, there was two left to get. Getting closer, he would draw level with Elijah G, but could he catch Four Leaf, a horse that has been on a roll of late? In the dying moments, Kid Commander had an additional gear, something that Four Leaf would not be able to have, and would force the close photo in the end. He would end up prevailing over Four Leaf by a head! Elijah G was a length back in third, ahead of Cover Photo, who began his run way too late. Blown Coverage, Autumn Blitz, and Laffin Funky round it out.

About The Winner- Kid Commander, trained by Allinthegate and ridden to victory by J R Velazquez, is a six year old gelding by Perfect Command, and is out of Pink Condo. He was bred in California by the trainer, and they have been together throughout. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his 14th in 24 starts, and his 11th stake win! His career earnings are now $1,430.700.

Track: Firm
Time: :22²  :44⁴  :56¹  1:02

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 6 – 2 Paid 27.60
$1 Trifecta: 6 – 2 – 5 Paid 32.30

Scratched: Inbred

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded