Kimari goes last to first in winning Keeneland's Indian Summer Stakes

Kimari stamped herself as one to beat in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on Sunday when the filly beat the boys in Keeneland’s $200,000 Indian Summer Stakes.

The Wesley Ward trainee, who had jockey Mike Smith in from California to ride, went from last to first to complete 5 1/2 furlongs in a stakes record 1:03.03 (the Indian Summer was run for the second time this year).

“A lot of it had to do with what Wesley told me," Smith said. "He told me although she’s extremely fast, she breaks horrible every time. Being in the 2 hole, I thought, ‘Wow, that could be bad.’ But he said she’ll be OK if that happens. ‘Don’t worry about it. Just ride her with confidence.’

"I take my hat off to him. I did exactly what he told me to do. I rode her with a lot of confidence. When we came off the top of the turn, I just had to show her the stick a little and she just took off.”

A daughter of Munnings, Kimari was running back from an Aug. 14 victory in Saratoga’s Bolton Landing. Earlier this summer, she made her stakes debut off a Keeneland debut victory to be a close second in Royal Ascot’s Queen Mary Stakes (G2).

Fractions went in 21.94 and 45.22, and Chimney Rock got the jump running from second to last as the race’s 3-1 second choice. But running down the center of the track, Kimari showcased why she was bet down to even money with her late charge.

“She’s a real, true racehorse,” Ward said after he half-length score. “A lot to overcome today, and she did it.”

Behind Chimney Rock, longshot Axiomo ran third with Mystic Lancelot fourth in the field of nine.

Jockey John Velazquez, who had obligations Sunday to ride in New York, is expected back on Kimari in the Breeders' Cup.