Lewis Stakes – Grade III (P3) [KYD]
1 1/16 Mile Dirt Stake Purse $200.000 Open 3 Year Olds.

1st Team Leader Fractious Garcia Mar

The only ridiculous thing about this race was the odds monkeys attempt to write a book on this race. The fact that this stakes winner working 1.10 and 3, who was fourth in the LA Futurity last time out went off at 37/1 seemed ridiculous but let’s face it, this is not something that is unusual. Forgetting the odds makers, this son of People Pleaser, running from the perfect gate and with the trainer of the moment at the helm was always going to be in contention, but it will be really pleasing for Fractious at how well he won. Traveling in behind the speed he made his decisive challenge and ran away to win by a length and now puts himself into the KYD picture.

2nd Southern Oak Jive Inc. Pennington F

If the odds on the winner were crazy, then the odds on the runner up were a bit more realistic but improving recent works suggested he was going to improve when stretched out over ground, and sure enough we saw that improvement today. He had a sticky gate but stuck to the game plan running through for second and it will be very interesting to see how he progresses from here.

3rd Prestigious Freak Saratoga Stud Ortiz I Jr

Another with improving works, he ran a decent race too, staying on nicely into third in his first ever black type run. He is in the Derby picture now but will need a bigger effort next time to stay there.

4th Lasting Impressions Alydar Stables Espinoza V

Stalked the lead but was a little disappointing when the whips came out. Going on his works and his effort in the Jerome I expected better of him as they rounded for home, but he found very little and just whacked away in the end. Stalking from a wide draw can be the kiss of death at times, so I wonder whether he will improve for this with a better gate.

Categories: Grade III