Keeneland: Minaret Station wins 38-1 shocker in Bourbon Stakes

Minaret Station rallied from far back to spring a 38-1 upset Sunday in the Grade 2, $350,000 Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland, winning by 1 1/2 lengths over Golden Afternoon.

An OXO Equine homebred trained by Will Walden and ridden by Cristian Torres, Minaret Station completed the 1 1/16 miles over the firm turf course in 1:42.28. It was the first Keeneland stakes victory for Walden.

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With the victory, Minaret Station earned a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) to be run Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Clock Tower set the pace with fractions of 22.29, 47.02 and 1:11.79 with Golden Afternoon, Warheart, Reach for the Rose and Cavallo Bay in closest pursuit while Minaret Station raced near the rear of the 12-horse field.

Getting a ground-saving trip from Torres, Minaret Station began closing in on the far turn and was sixth as the field turned into the stretch. Still fifth at the eighth pole, Minaret Station swung out four wide at the sixteenth pole and rocketed past the dueling leaders for the victory.

“I thought he broke clean, and Cristian was able to navigate his way to the rail, which is what we wanted to do on the first turn,” Walden said. “I didn’t expect him to be almost last. We were kind of toward the back of the pack when mid-pack was kind of where we had him spotted. But this turf course has been pretty fair all week. Horses have closed on it well. As he moved up to the quarter pole, I was just hoping the speed didn’t back up in his face, and it didn’t. Cristian navigated it beautifully, and the horse exploded. He got it done.”

Minaret Station is a Kentucky-bred son of Instilled Regard out of four-time Grade 2 winner Beau Recall. Victorious in 2 of 3 races, Minaret Station earned $198,013 with the win to boost his earnings to $223,968.

Minaret Station rewarded his backers with payoffs of $78.88, $33.22 and $18.46. Golden Afternoon, ridden by Luis Sáez, returned $13.48 and $8.30 and finished a half-length in front of Clock Tower, who paid $6.12 to show under Gerardo Corrales.

It was another half-length back to Cavallo Bay with Warlander, Giocoso, Warheart, Siesta Key, Reach for the Rose, Papiamento, Fleming and Baytown Baracus following in that order.