Lentenor 2nd in Wednesday's Feature

The highly-anticipated appearance of Lael Stable’s 3-year-old homebred Lentenor in Wednesday’s eighth race allowance feature at Gulfstream Park left fans and connections with lingering questions about Barbaro’s full-brother as he finished second as the odds-on favorite in the 1 1/8 miles turf test.

Ridden by John Velazquez, the son of Dynaformer stalked a rather slow pace in the early going and edged Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren’s, Jr.’s Saint Eligius for the place at the wire while WinStar Farm’s Doubles Partner slipped through along the hedge to score by a half-length.

Saint Eligius finished third a neck behind Lentenor in the field of 11. Jockey Chris DeCarlo rode Doubles Partner for trainer Todd Pletcher. The son of Rock Hard Ten was a $450,000 Saratoga yearling purchase that had broken his maiden last out on turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 28.

Trainer Michael Matz said after the race of Lentenor’s performance - “It’s disappointing. He broke well. He ran real well. (Jockey) John (Velazquez) said he was just doing some green things, and looking around. The pace was slow, and in hindsight he wishes he would have let him go a little earlier.

“At the three-eighths pole he would have gone past that other horse (Saint Eligius). He’s green still. He needs that experience. It’s a good question (where he runs next). I know he’s definitely the type that can run in the big races, it’s just a matter of timing and whether he can get the experience he needs.”