Lexington, Kentucky (AP) – Burnham Square hunted East Avenue at the back of the peloton and won by a nose in the blue grass of $ 1.25 million behind in Keeneland on Tuesday, resuming the qualification points for Kentucky Derby next month.
The 101st blue grass race was postponed on Saturday due to heavy rain and fatal floods in Kentucky. The next Lexington Stakes on Saturday is the last Derby qualification race.
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Burnham Square, mounted by 2024 The winner of the derby Brian Hernandez Jr. (Mystic Dan), covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1: 51.33 and paid $ 10.48, $ 5.18 and $ 3.34 to 4-1 dimensions. The gelding formed in Ian Wilkes also won 100 points in the Grade I race for 130 in total around 151st derby on May 3 in Churchill Downs in Louisville. Sandman is a point behind and Santa Anita derby Third winning journalism with 122.5.
“I'm going to look at him. He will tell me what I have to do,” said Wilkes. “But we have to keep the foot on the gas – to keep the foot on the pedal – because we have to improve a little. It will be very deep waters, and we have to go much better.”
East Avenue returned $ 6.42 and $ 4.26 for the second and won 50 derby points, while Todd Plantcher's favorite Thames finished third, paying $ 3.24 and receiving 25 points.
Admiral Dennis (15 points) finished fourth under the jockey of replacement Manny Franco, who took the mount after Veteran Luiz Saez was injured with a fall in the second race. Saez was in a stable condition in a hospital after falling fateful lightning on the Keeneland lawn route.
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Burnham Square was far behind East Avenue led seven horses entering the back before climbing regularly and saving his best after rounded the last lap. He tracked down the East Avenue from the outside and the horses were even in the last yards before Burnham Square became East Avenue at the line for his second victory in Stakes in three departures this year.
“When we turned home, my horse had a head full of steam, and I was quite confident that we were going to run (Pacesetter East Avenue),” said Hernandez. “So just over the course, I had an idea that we had my neck in front of him.”
He won the Holly Bull of Grade III in Gulfstream of 1 3/4 lengths in February before appearing fourth in the Grade II youth fountain on March 25.
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AP Horse Racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing
