Monmouth: Kentucky Outlaw beats gate issues in Long Branch

The gate issues that have dogged Kentucky Outlaw through his first three career starts were still present in Saturday’s $102,000 Long Branch Stakes for 3-year-olds on Monmouth Park’s opening day card. But unlike the colt’s previous start, it didn’t matter this time.

Kentucky Outlaw gave owner-trainer Felissa Dunn her first career stakes win, rolling to 1 1/2-length victory in the feature race for 3-year-olds. The victory was worth free entry and start fees to the Grade 1 Haskell on July 19 at Monmouth.

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It marked the third win in four career starts, all this year, for the son of Outwork, who was picked out of the Ocala Breeders’ June juvenile sale last year for $12,000 by the trainer’s husband John Dunn.

The winning time for the mile and 70 yards was 1:41.06.

“I’m happy,” said Felissa Dunn, who has been training off and on since 2009. “He ran like he did his first two races. He broke slowly, caught up with the field, and then he just wanted to go. I think his last race was a little tough for him, plus he broke poorly and then got rushed.”

Sent off as the 9-5 favorite in the field of seven, Kentucky Outlaw quickly caught up to the field after the hesitant break and was sitting in third position on the outside early with the opening fractions going in 22.33 and 46.03 seconds.

Kentucky Outlaw then hooked up with Dear Chairman before Cool Intentions made a late run up the rail. It was another neck back to Pascaline.

“The trainer told me, ‘This horse does not break very well. After the break you do whatever you have to do. He’s a nice horse and he has been doing super,’ ” said Paco López, who rode four winners on the card as he started his quest for a 12th Monmouth Park riding title.

Kentucky Outlaw broke slowly and was rushed up in his last start, finishing fifth in the Federico Tesio at Laurel Park on April 19 after winning his first two career starts by a combined 13 1/2 lengths.

John Dunn said the Ohio Derby (G3) on June 21 at Thistledown was the next possible start for the Kentucky-bred colt.

“The gate has been his Achillles’ heel,” said John Dunn, who has 242 wins as trainer. “I had him cranked up and ready to go (for his first career start last year) at Thanksgiving, and we couldn’t get the OK from the gate. He was hesitant like he was today. Today he broke bad with (first-time) blinkers, and so we’ll work on that and hopefully get straightened out.

“I have a couple of spots in mind for him. Nothing iron clad right now. Right now we’re looking at the Ohio Derby.”

As for the Haskell Stakes being on the horse’s radar, John Dunn said, “It’s a possibility. We’ll see how we progress. If we can get his gate issues in the rear view mirror, then I would definitely consider the Haskell. It’s a $1 million pot. We don’t get a chance at many of those.”