1/30/2021

  1   SA      Lewis Stakes (GIII)  [KYD]

            $100.000     3yo     1 1/16m   Dirt         121lbs +penalties

There was nothing cheesy about Saturday’s Lewis Stakes (GIII)… ok, sorry for the cheesy pun… there I go again.  Never far from the pace, Keikowin Racing’s Cheesy continued to peck away at the field down the lane and got to the front when it counted, on the wire, as the chestnut took this TC stepping stone stakes by a length in a final time of 1:41³ for the mile and a sixteenth.  Brave Companion stalked the pace throughout this one and took the place by the slimmest of margins over the fast closing Contradiction with Tequila Rise getting the minor money.

The field loaded into the gate, the flag was up and away they go… Pollards Vision away well, No Change on the rail, Cheesy and Tequila Rise with good early speed, back towards the inside for Gabilondo, then a gap back to Dynamic, Contradiction on his inside and Forever Boom along the rail, back outside for the duo of Brave Companion and Swale, with Day Of Authority off slowly and trailing the field early.

They moved around the clubhouse turn and onto the backside with five and a half furlongs to travel, No Change up to take the lead by two.  Brave Companion wide and chasing, with Pollards Vision back towards the rail.  Another gap to Cheesy in the three path, Forever Boom saving ground, Tequila Rise out wide, Dynamic to his inside and Contradiction along the rail.  Gabilondo on his flank, Swale caught widest of all and Day Of Authority continued to trail the field.

Down the backstretch and now into the far turn with three furlongs to run, No Change was joined by Brave Companion on the outside, a gap of two back to Pollards Vision on the rail with Cheesy moving with that one, another length back to Tequila Rise still travelling wide, Forever Boom with a nice ground saving trip, Contradiction continuing on his flank, Dynamic in the three path, then a length back to Gabilondo, Swale continuing to run wide and Day Of Authority still at the back of the pack.

Swing around the far turn and into the lane, the field flew past the furlong marker and we had three across the track… Brave Companion with a neck in front of No Change along the rail, Cheesy moving forward in the three path, then Tequila Rise down the center of the track.  Back to the inside for Pollards Vision, Contradiction on his flank and Forever Boom on the rail, Dynamic with a clear shot in the four path, Gabilondo, Swale and Day Of Authority.

Deep stretch and to the wire, Cheesy had a gear that the rest just couldn’t muster and he moved clear late to take the victory.  Really nothing in it for the second spot where the photo showed Brave Companion by the slimmest margin for the place and Contradiction settling for the third spot.  Tequila Rose grabbed fourth, No Change in fifth, Forever Boom in sixth, Pollards Vision in seventh, Gabilondo eighth, Dynamic ninth, Swale tenth and Day Of Authority closed this one out. 

Cheesy is a 3yo chestnut gelding by Exultant – Amazing Andrea, by Windfallen, and he was bred in Cal by his owner, Keikowin Racing. This was his third win from eight starts, his first graded stakes score, and he now shows earnings of $235.600.  He’s certainly a horse that should be watched on the TC Trail.

$2 Mutuel Prices:

Track: Fast              Time: :23⁴  :47³  1:11   1:41³
$1 Exacta: 10 – 9 Paid 49.30     $1 Trifecta: 10 – 9 – 4 Paid 251.30
Scratched: Bolt By Bolt, Empire Of The North, Modesta, Between The Hedges(L)
#13 Tequila Rise started in PP11.

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES, THE TRIPLE CROWN