Encryption by a neck in Turning for Home Stakes

Encryption rallied four wide around the final turn and prevailed in a stretch-long duel with the favored Majestic Affair to win the $100,000 Turning for Home Stakes by a neck at Parx Racing on Saturday.

It was the second career stakes win for Encryption, a 5-year-old son of Exchange Rate who won the $150,000 Bayern Stakes at the suburban Philadelphia track last September.

With Nik Jaurez riding him for the first time Saturday, Encryption settled into fourth place early as longshot Saffron Hall led the bunched-up field of five 3-year-olds and up through a quarter-mile in 24.60 seconds and a half-mile in 48.86, with Majestic Affair tracking him in second. Majestic Affair took aim at the leader on the second turn, and Encryption was briefly last in the field as Juarez angled him out four wide and asked him for run.

Encryption and Majestic Affair hit the top of the lane together, with Encryption sticking his head in front and never relinquishing his lead as the pair battled to the wire. The final time for one mile and 70 yards over a fast track was 1:43.28; Encryption paid $7.20 as the third choice.

Majestic Affair finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Saffron Hall, who was followed by Adirondack King and Etruscan. Majestic Affair was favored after running in three consecutive graded events, including a second-place finish in the Grade 3 General George Stakes at Laurel Park in February and a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 6.

Encryption, trained by Kelly Breen for Stoneway Farm, has won five of 17 starts and has earned $383,570. He’s run in five graded stakes, with his best finish a second in the Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes as a 3-year-old at Monmouth Park in June 2014.