Holiday Star Captures Sycamore at Keeneland Again

Augustin Stable’s Holiday Star took command in midstretch and then held off a late bid from favored Charming Kitten by a half-length to win the 21^st running of the $100,000 Sycamore (G3) for 3-year-olds and up before a Thursday afternoon crowd of 11,952.

Holiday Star became the fourth horse to post back-to-back victories in the Sycamore and the second for Augustin, whose Rochester won the renewals in 2001-2002 as well as in 2005. Other repeat winners were Gleaming Key (1996-1997) and Royal Strand (IRE) (1998-1999).

Trained by Graham Motion and ridden by Edgar Prado, Holiday Star covered the 1½ miles on a firm turf course in 2:33.06. It was the third win in the race for Motion, who also won the 2011 running with Sanagas (GER).

For Prado, it was his second stakes victory of the meet and 40^th career stakes triumph at Keeneland to become the seventh rider to reach that plateau. Prado won the opening-day Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G3) on Runhappy.

Patrioticandproud and Market Outlook led the field of nine through fractions of :25.95, :51.86, 1:17.82 and 1:44.17 as Prado kept Holiday Star in the clear on the outside just in back of the leaders. Market Outlook took over at the head of the lane but yielded the advantage at the eighth pole to Holiday Star.

The 5-year-old Holiday Star is a Pennsylvania-bred son of Harlan’s Holiday out of the Deputy Minister mare Spring Star. The victory was worth $60,000 and increased Holiday Star’s earnings to $311,019 with a record of 19-6-3-2.

Holiday Star returned $9.20, $4.40 and $3.20. Charming Kitten, ridden by John Velazquez, returned $4.20 and $3.60 with St. Albans Boy finishing third another half-length back under Paco Lopez and returning $7 to show.

Thatcher Street finished fourth and was followed in order by Divine Oath, Kalamos, Market Outlook, Aldous Snow and Patrioiticandproud.

Racing continues Friday with a 10-race program that begins at 1:05 p.m. ET.

Source: Keeneland Association