LEXINGTON, Ky. – Extra Anejo has always been thought of well. A $1.35 million yearling purchase by Winchell Thoroughbreds, he had plenty of additional hype surrounding him after his impressive debut win in October 2022 at Keeneland. But, like oak-aged tequila, Extra Anejo has taken time to reach his full depths, with a stop-and-go campaign over the past several years. “He’s a big colt. He took some time to come around,” David Fiske, racing manager for Winchell, said. “Broke his maiden here at Keeneland very impressively and then had to go to the sidelines and get a little bodywork done. And then he came back out and ran a few races, and then he had to go to the sidelines again. But he always seems to run well off a break.” Nearly seven months since Extra Anejo’s last start, Steve Asmussen decided to strike off that layoff on a track the horse likes. It was the right move. In his 5-year-old debut, Extra Anejo rallied to win the Grade 3, $350,000 Commonwealth Stakes to notch his first stakes win. “It’s just really gratifying to finally get it done,” Fiske said. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Extra Anejo ($10.14), who had Flavien Prat aboard, was sixth with three furlongs remaining in the seven-furlong Commonwealth. Up front, Montalcino, sent away favored off an impressive allowance win at Fair Grounds, was zipping through opening splits of 21.83 seconds for the opening quarter and 44.48 for the half on a track rated fast. All the while, he was tracked intently by Epic Ride, a measured length back. “He jumped well,” Prat said of Extra Anejo. “It seemed like there was a quite a bit of pace in front of us, so I decided to save ground and give him a chance.” Turning for home, Epic Ride tried to loom alongside the favorite, but it was Hoist the Gold, a past graded-stakes winner on this track, who appeared to be revving up as the biggest threat. That question was rendered mute in an instant as Extra Anejo, tipped widest of all by Prat, appeared on the scene. He cleared the leaders in the final strides and rambled clear by a widening 1 1/2 lengths at the wire. The time for the seven furlongs was 1:23.63, giving Extra Anejo a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure. Montalcino held second by two lengths over Hoist the Gold, who was another four lengths clear of Epic Ride. Ashcroft, Caramel Chip, Prince of Power, Nutella Fella, Best Actor, Here Mi Song, and Surly Furious rounded out the order of finish. Nutella Fella, who has a history of acting up at the gate, delayed the start, as did the late scratch of Whatchatalkinabout. Fiske said that, depending on how Extra Anejo emerges from the Commonwealth, the Grade 1, $1 million Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard could be a possibility. But, of course, Extra Anejo likes his time between drinks. “He seems to come out of his stall about three times a year to run, so we’ll see,” Fiske said. “But he likes it over at Churchill.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.