Field Pass prevails in thrilling finish to win Transylvania

Three Diamond Farm's Field Pass uncorked a rally in deep stretch and got a nose down on the wire to just edge game longshot Street Ready in the Grade 3, $100,000 Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland Race Course on Sunday.

Street Ready and Field Pass each saved ground in stalking positions along the hedge in the 1 1/16-miles Transylvania as Juggernaut took the field through opening fractions of :23.33, :47.76 and 1:12.45 for six furlongs. Juggernaut continued to motor on the lead  into the top of the stretch with Fancy Liquor, but inside the three-sixteenths pole, Fancy Liquor Street Ready and Field Pass each overtook the leader and set down for a three-horse duel to the wire. 

With Street Ready holding a lead along the inside into the final strides, surging on the outside came Field Pass and Ricardo Santana Jr. to nail Street Ready by about a nose. Street Ready finished about a neck in front of Fancy Liquor for second. 

Trained by Michael Maker, Field Pass completed the trip in 1:42.56 and paid $6.40.

A 3-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid, Field Pass earned his fourth stakes win of the season. He won the Dania Beach on turf at Gulfstream this winter and came right back to take the Feb. 14 Jeff Ruby Stakes (G3) over the Turfway Park Polytrack. Most recently, Field Pass scored a front-running victory in the June 20 Audubon Stakes at Churchill Downs. 

Field Pass, who improves to 11: 5-2-1 with more than $400,000 in earnings, was a $37,000 auction purchase at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall yearling sale.