Cashel Castle best in Lafayette

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Cashel Castle got a perfect trip to maintain his perfect record while also giving Pat Day his 800th career triumph at Keeneland when easily defeating five other 3-year-olds Sunday in the $111,300 .

Cashel Castle, trained by Chris Block, won by 4 1/4 lengths over Governor Hickel, returning $3.20 as the heavy favorite. The victory was his fifth without a defeat.

Following the pattern of so many other main-track winners during the opening three-day weekend of the spring meet, Cashel Castle saved ground while stalking the pace through the far turn of the seven-furlong, Grade 3 Lafayette, then angled out and drew off with ease. Governor Hickel had a similar trip several lengths behind the winner.

Cashel Castle, a gray Silver Ghost colt owned by Barry and Sandra Buchholz, will run next in the one-mile Derby Trial at Churchill Downs April 27.

"I've got a lot of confidence in this horse," said Block, a standout on the Chicago circuit who was winning at Keeneland for the first time. "He rates so well that something like getting in behind traffic is no problem for him."

Cashel Castle was simply hand-ridden down the stretch by Day, finishing in 1:24.47 over a fast track. "We just kind of followed them along and were able to angle out," he said.

Day is the all-time winningest rider at Keeneland in overall races and stakes. The Lafayette was his 79th stakes victory here.

For Buchholzes, who reside in southern Georgia, the victory was their second in a Keeneland stakes. They also won the 1993 Ashland with Lunar Spook.