Lexington (Grade 3) (KYD)- $400.000 Purse
KEE- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
April 13, 2024

There were two winners in the Grade 3 Lexington, but not because it was a dead heat. Good Memories, trained by Mb Stables, would get the win in the race, getting the head bob over Backroad Bounty. Despite his victory here, Good Memories will not have enough points to make it into the KYD, but Backroad Bounty’s second place effort gets him into the big race in three weeks. For Good Memories, this is likely one that will be targeted into the PRK and is certainly one to keep an eye on over the summer months. Backroad Bounty gets enough points to move into 19th and clinch the spot. Neither of Extreme Flyer or Kings Justice, the third and fourth place finishers will make it to the KYD, but fifth place Fun Runner is interesting. He sits 23rd, but there are four Mb Stables horses in the top 20, so one will not get in. That’s good news for 21st place Crickets. In 22nd is another Mb Stables horse, meaning Fun Runner will need only one horse expected to run to opt out of it. We shall see. In the meantime, Mb Stables will celebrate the win of Good Memories here, and it is the third time that he has won this race. Jockey R L Moore is a first-time winner. Congratulations to them! The race was won in a time of 1:41.38, which is among the better winning times for the race. Let’s take a look at it:

(1/4 Mile- :22.61)- Extreme Flyer breaks sharply out of the gate from the outside for La Canada Racehorses, and on the rail, Hyakutake does the same for Riggins Racing. These two open up three lengths on the rest of the field as we move into the turn. In the third position is Backroad Bounty, for Aer Stables, and he is four wide moving into the turn. He’s ahead of the three that are close by, but they are within a length, so Backroad Bounty cannot move to the rail at this time. Fun Runner, is fourth, and on the rail, Raging Heights is fifth for Riggins Racing. Between them, is Waldo’s Complicated. A length behind this group of four is where we find our eventual winner, the Mb Stables trained Good Memories. He’s also in the fourth lane, right behind Backroad Bounty and officially five lengths from the lead. Smack (Fractious) is right behind him, and on the rail running evenly with that one is Pressing Concern (London Racing). Charm City Bomber (Jerry Garcia Racing) and Star Traveler (TwinTowersRacing) are next, and at the back runs Kings Justice (Paradise Stable).

(½ Mile- :46.18)- Up front, Hyakutake and Extreme Flyer continue to set the pace and still have an approximate three length lead on the rest of the field. Meanwhile, third place Backroad Bounty did well to clear the others that had been near them, allowing himself to be a perfect position to pounce if the frontrunners tire out. He’s a length ahead of a group of three, which sees Fun Runner having a neck in front of Raging Heights and Complicated. Good Memories is running in the seventh position, content to run in the fourth lane, but be a length behind those other three. It’s another length to Pressing Concern and Smack, and at the back are Charm City Bomber, Star Traveler, and Kings Justice.

(Top of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- Towards the end of the backstretch, Extreme Flyer has prevailed over Hyakutake, but others are coming. First, it will be Backroad Bounty, who has had a great trip to this point, and now it was time to strike on the two leaders. He had just a length and a half to make up now. Further back, Good Memories became one to watch, as about midway into the turn, R L Moore decides it’s time for his horse to go, and he completes the pass of Raging Heights and Complicated, as well as Fun Runner, who put up more of a fight. Smack was looking to make a run further back, as was Kings Justice. And if Charm City Bomber and Star Traveler had something coming, it’s time to show it.

(Finish- 1:41.38)- Extreme Flyer is doing his best to hold on, but it was not going to be good enough. Backroad Bounty had pulled up along his outside with a little more than a half furlong to go, and from the far outside, Good Memories was coming on strong. Hyakutake was losing ground slightly, and Fun Runner had a clear lane to make his run if he had it in him. The late close of Kings Justice also got the attention of everyone involved. Approaching the wire, both Good Memories and Backroad Bounty appeared to be even, and a tight photo needed to be checked. Good Memories would get the head bob on Backroad Bounty to get the victory. Extreme Flyer ran gamely to the wire, and was a half-length behind them in third, with the late charge of Kings Justice taking fourth. That run of his may have knocked fifth place Fun Runner out of the KYD. Pressing Concern takes sixth, ahead of Hyakutake, Smack, Raging Heights, Charm City Bomber, Complicated, and Star Traveler.

About The Winner- Good Memories, trained by Mb Stables and ridden to victory by R L Moore, is a three-year-old colt by Kashatreya and is out of Reminisce. He was bred in Ontario by Mb Stables as a third quarter two-year-old, and they have been together throughout. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his third in four starts, his second stake win and first graded win. His career earnings are now $405.000.

Track: Fast
Time: :22³  :46  1:10¹  1:41¹

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 7 – 11 Paid 43.00
$1 Trifecta: 7 – 11 – 12 Paid 1,241.10

Scratched: Maravich

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES