Bound for Nowhere nails Imprimis on wire in Shakertown

LEXINGTON, KY. – The fourth time was another charm for Bound for Nowhere as he ran down his fellow veteran campaigner Imprimis to win the Grade 2, $200,000 Shakertown Stakes on Saturday afternoon at Keeneland.

The Shakertown was one of a pair of competitive sprints for older horses on the Saturday undercard at Keeneland. One race earlier, Flagstaff, another seasoned runner, won the Grade 3, $200,000 Commonwealth Stakes on the main track. Both winners were piloted by Joel Rosario on an outstanding afternoon for the jockey.

Both Bound for Nowhere ($6.60), who is owned and trained by Wesley Ward, and Imprimis, who is trained by Joe Orseno for Breeze Easy LLC, are 7-year-olds and prior Shakertown winners. Bound for Nowhere was making his fourth consecutive appearance in the race, which he won in 2018, and finished second by a neck to Imprimis in in 2019. Bound for Nowhere was third in last year's renewal of the Shakertown, contested in July after Keeneland was forced to cancel its spring meet due to the coronavirus pandemic.

That was the most recent start for Bound for Nowhere prior to Saturday's race. He has been entered but scratched from several stakes races in the interim.

"He's a really hard horse to train," Ward said. "He’s got a lot of issues that he’s overcome. Just minor deals, but major setbacks when you're trying to keep him at this level. I’ve got to give all the credit to his rider who rides him every day, Julio Garcia, who’s ridden him the majority of his career."

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By contrast, Imprimis had more recent form, with a win and a close runner-up effort in two stakes in Florida this winter before returning to Keeneland, where he was a troubled 13th in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint last fall. Imprimis delayed the start of the Shakertown when, eager to go, he broke through the gate. He was quickly approved by the veterinarian and reloaded. Nevertheless, when the field for the Shakertown turned into the lane, Imprimis, who had been stalking the pace inside under Paco Lopez, was ready to run for real, tipping out five wide to forge his way past the leaders. But Bound for Nowhere, eighth of 12 with a quarter-mile to go, was gaining on the outside. Ward stood in the grandstand watching with Imprimis's Breeze Easy ownership, for which he also trains.

"I was confident, but their horse is a warrior and a win machine," Ward said. "He has recency, but this is our home court. My guy is a tryer and a fighter, but so is theirs. It was right down to the dirty dollar, and we got them."

Indeed, it was Bound for Nowhere by a nose at the wire, stopping the clock in 1:02.19 for the 5 1/2 furlongs on turf officially rated good. Bound for Nowhere got a 105 Beyer Speed Figure.

After the top two, it was three lengths back to Critical Way, who nosed out longshot pacesetter Johnny Unleashed for fourth.

Ward indicated that the next major event for turf sprinters on the calendar, the Grade 2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint on Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill Downs, may come up "a little quick" for Bound for Nowhere, a barn favorite. He said he will monitor the ungelded son of The Factor while "keeping our options open" for a trip to the renowned Royal Ascot meeting in June in England. Bound for Nowhere was a creditable third in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at that meet in 2018.

Flagstaff rallies to win Commonwealth

Flagstaff, who has been tangling with some of the nation's leading sprinters, further enhanced their reputations, and his own, by rallying to win the Commonwealth under Rosario.

Flagstaff ($5.80), a 7-year-old Speightstown gelding who is multiple Grade 1-placed, started his 2020 campaign by winning the Grade 2 San Carlos at Santa Anita before running second to eventual Eclipse Award divisional champion Whitmore in the Grade 3 Count Fleet at Oaklawn. He then finished second to C Z Rocket in a pair of graded stakes in California. Whitmore and C Z Rocket went on to run first and second in the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Flagstaff knocked off the rust for trainer John Sadler by finishing fourth in the King Cotton in February at Oaklawn. He was most recently third behind C Z Rocket and Whitmore in the Hot Springs on March 13.

In the Commonwealth, Flagstaff broke from the rail and sat covered up on the inside stalking Special Reserve as that one took the field through an opening half in 45.97 seconds. Rosario tipped his mount out for running room in the lane, and Flagstaff responded with a steady drive to run down Special Reserve by 1 1/2 lengths. He finished seven furlongs on the fast dirt track in 1:21.84 and got a 94 Beyer Speed Figure.

Hidden Scroll, sent away as the second choice behind favored Flagstaff, was eased through the lane in last. He was reported to have bled and walked off.