Innovation Economy Wins Keeneland Feature
Making his first start of 2015, Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence’s Innovation Economy won the $62,000 Whitey Purse before a Thursday afternoon crowd of 12,111.
Julian Leparoux rode the winner, a 4-year-old colt by Dynaformer out of the Gone West mare Somerset West, to a 3¾-length victory while covering 1½ miles on a good turf course in 2:28.25. Innovation Economy is trained by Chad Brown, who earned his seventh win of Keeneland’s Spring Meet.
Innovation Economy, the 3-1 second choice in the field of 11 4-year-olds and older horses, recorded his third win in five starts. He earned $37,200 for Thursday’s victory to push his earnings to $135,003.
A Keeneland sales graduate, Innovation Economy is from the family of Grade 1 winners Cetewayo and Dynaforce and Grade 2 winners Bowman Mill and Willcox Inn.
Innovation Economy returned $9, $5.20 and $4. Finishing second was Xtra Luck, ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., who paid $13 and $7.40. Another 1¼ lengths behind in third was Daddy’s Kid, who paid $4.60 to show under Paco Lopez.
Tomorrow is closing day of Keeneland’s 15-day Spring Meet. The featured race is the 54th running of the $150,000 Bewitch (G3) for fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, competing at 1½ miles on turf. The Bewitch is the ninth race on the 10-race card with a 5:13 p.m. post time.
First post is 1:05 p.m.
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On Thursday, jockey Joel Rosario scored his 2,000th win in the U.S. and Canada when he rode Sante Cellars Racing Club’s Dating Lady Luck to win the second race for 3-year-olds maiden fillies. Al Stall Jr. trained the winner, a 3-year-old daughter of Arch, who won the 1 3/16-mile race on turf by three-quarters of a length in 1:56.85.
Rosario also won the third race on Tale of Verve and the fourth race aboard Mighty Moon.
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On Friday, Keeneland will close the Spring Meet with Dixiana Farm Presents Concert on the Lawn featuring national country music artist Sundy Best. The free concert immediately after the final race (post time is 5:44 p.m.) benefits the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Foundation.
Source: Keeneland Association