Race Day Sets Track Record in Fayette
Matthew Schera’s Race Day surged past pace-setter Encryption at the eighth pole and held off a belated bid from favored Hoppertunity by three-quarters of a length to win the 58th running of the $200,000 Hagyard Fayette (G2) for 3-year-olds and up in track-record time on Friday afternoon on the opening day of the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
In the race prior to the Hagyard Fayette, Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s homebred Tweet Kitten held off favored Closing Bell by a half-length to win the 15th running of the Bryan Station for 3-year-olds.
Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, Race Day covered the 1 1/8 miles on a fast main track in 1:47.90 to erase the track standard of 1:48.79 established this spring by Protonico, also trained by Pletcher. It was the first victory in the Hagyard Fayette for Pletcher and Velazquez.
Encryption quickly grabbed the lead in the field of nine after breaking from the outside post and posted fractions of :23.55, :47.15 and 1:11.41 with Commissioner next and Race Day just off the pace in third.
At midstretch, Race Day quickly disposed of Encryption and opened a daylight margin that was more than enough to hold off Hoppertunity.
A Keeneland sales graduate, Race Day is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Tapit out of the More Than Ready mare Rebalite. The $120,000 winner’s share boosted Race Day’s earnings to $733,450 with a record of 11-6-1-2.
Race Day returned $10.60, $5.20 and $4.40. Hoppertunity, ridden by Victor Espinoza, paid $3.60 and $2.80 with Encryption finishing four lengths back in third under Paco Lopez and paying $6.80 to show.
It was 1½ lengths back to Commissioner in fourth with Protonico, Geothermal, V. E. Day, Code West and Ulanbator following in order. Departing and Eagle were scratched.
BRYAN STATION
Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Javier Castellano, Tweet Kitten covered the 1 1/8 miles on a yielding turf course in 1:51.79. It was the second win for Castellano in the race, which most recently run in 2009 with Castellano prevailing aboard Get Stormy.
One Go All Go led the field of 12 through fractions of :24.63, :48.82 and 1:14.67 with Tweet Kitten in closest pursuit. One Go All Go maintained the lead to the eighth pole when Tweet Kitten took over and held off all pursuers.
A maiden winner in his eighth career start, Tweet Kitten is a Kentucky-bred son of Kitten’s Joy out of the Saint Ballado mare Sweet Kassidy. The victory was worth $60,000 and increased Tweet Kitten’s earnings to $156,615 with a record of 9-2-2-3.
Tweet Kitten, a graduate of Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale, returned $34.80, $12.60 and $8.20. Closing Bell, ridden by Jose Lezcano, returned $4.40 and $3 with Wayward Kitten finishing a neck back in third under Frankie Dettori and paying $5.80 to show.
Finishing another length back in fourth was One Go All Go, who was followed in order by Fundamental, Billy’s Star, Tale of Life (JPN), Chapter Two, Tale of Verve, King of New York, Firespike and Paid Admission.
Source: Keeneland Association