Dash Attack gets onto Kentucky Derby scoreboard with win in Smarty Jones

Dash Attack’s stock is rising quickly.

He picked up 10 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, when he swept through the lane for a two-length victory over Barber Road in the $250,000 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park.

It was another length back in third to Ignitis, who edged Kavod by a nose. The second- through fourth-place finishers also earned Kentucky Derby points on a scale of 4-2-1.

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Dash Attack is now unbeaten in two starts. He won his career debut over opening weekend at Oaklawn, at the same mile distance of the Smarty Jones. The races ended at the sixteenth pole, and in both of them Dash Attack finished well under David Cohen.

“In his first race, he hit his best stride the last 50 yards,” Cohen said in a post-race interview broadcast by Oaklawn. “I look forward to him getting more distance in the future.”

Cohen was aboard Dash Attack for trainer Ken McPeek.

Dash Attack ($17.40) broke a step slowly from the rail in the race, run on a sloppy, sealed track, and settled in sixth off dueling leaders Ruggs and Ben Diesel, who took the field through fractions of 23.03 seconds for the opening quarter and 46.38 for the half-mile. Kavod moved to the fore through six furlongs in 1:12.34 as Cohen angled Dash Attack off the rail coming to the quarter pole. Cohen asked him for run through the lane, and the horse responded. He covered the distance in 1:39.44.

“He really just took to the track very well,” Cohen said. “I asked him to do his business and he did it very willingly.”

It was the second time Dash Attack had raced on a wet track. His maiden win came on a surface rated good Dec. 5.

Dash Attack is a son of Munnings and he is from the female family of Sunland Derby winner Song of Navarone. He races for his breeders, Catalyst Stable and Magdalena Racing, as well as additional partners Kevin Pollard and Patty Slevin.

The Smarty Jones was the first of four Kentucky Derby points race to be held this meet at Oaklawn. The next such race on the calendar is the Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest at a mile and a sixteenth Jan. 29.