The 18th Running of the G3 Lecomte Stakes
Saturday, January 21, 2023
FG Race #11 $200.000
3YOs 122 Lbs (plus penalties) 11/16
KYD POINTS RACE (20-8-6-4-2)
Course Record-1:39.97 (Phuneios-2013)
Stakes Record-1:41.33 (Shadow Police-2022)
The Louisiana path towards the G1 KYD got started Saturday with a familiar name taking the 18th edition of the G3 Lecomte Stakes: Mb Stables. Night Raider became the 5th winner in those familiar silks as he rallied and splashed his way to victory by getting his nose down on the wire in a time of 1:45.44 for the 8.5 furlongs. Duke Of Satire was the tough-luck runner-up with Timeless another length back in 3rd. Dominant and Cheyenne Lame Foot may not have turned a profit, but they did earn four and two points, respectively, for their 4th and 5th place finishes.
Smokin Secret won the break; however, the outside duo of Dominant and Loko Moko were determined to clear from posts 10 and 12, respectively, and they battled to set the early tempo. Night Raider, away from stall three, was able to settle behind cover from the two path some four lengths off of the developing duel up front. Loko Moko took the worst of it as he was caught six-wide around the first turn before ranging next to Dominant to set a contested :23.38 opening quarter.
Night Raider moved to the rail going down the backside, and, while he may have been racing 9th, he was still just four lengths off of the pace. As Dominant put away Loko Moko after three-quarters went in 1:12.92, Night Raider began maneuvering to the four path as he looked to gather momentum for the long FG stretch. Duke Of Satire made his move at the top of the lane, but, as he advanced, he drifted out ever so slightly. Night Raider jumped into the bit and quickly accelerated as he moved from 8th to 4th with a furlong and a half still to go.
While Night Raider had his sights on Dominant and Duke Of Satire, Timeless had to stymie his run for a sixteenth as he waited for a path to freedom from Smokin Secret’s retreat. Duke Of Satire finally got by Dominant, but Night Raider was closing on the leader’s inside with 50-yards to go. The two rivals hit the wire in a head-bobbing finish, but the day belonged to the Mb Stables-trainee. Timeless continued his rally to get third, just beaten a length. Dominant held on for fourth just a half-length ahead of Cheyenne Lame Foot who rallied from 9th inside the final furlong. Lunar Victory, Smokin Secret, Loko Moko, Kentucky Pharoah, Vieux Jeu, and Leaderfromhell completed the order of finish.
With the win, Night Raider became the first graded winner for his sire, Tactical (o/o Chances Taken) and secured 20 KYD points as he ran his record to 9-3-1-2 with earnings of $360.120. Duke Of Satire, Timeless, Dominant, and Cheyenne Lame Foot were rewarded 8, 6, 4, and 2 points, respectively, for their finishes. Congratulations to Night Raider on his win and Mb Stables, on his 5th victory, in the G3 Lecomte!
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES
