Foreign Relations takes Louisville in graded stakes debut
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE?q=100)
Foreign Relations was in the news for all the right reasons this time, winning the Grade 3, $225,000 Louisville Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths over favored Limited Liability on the Churchill Downs turf Saturday evening.
Foreign Relations ($16.80) was making his graded stakes debut for trainer Conor Murphy off an allowance effort at Keeneland in which he crossed the wire first by 4 1/4 lengths, but was disqualified to 10th for interference. He had lugged in and clipped Master of the Ring's heels in midstretch, causing that horse to suffer a catastrophic injury while falling. Flavien Prat, who rode Foreign Relations that day, was handed a three-day suspension for careless riding.
With Prat riding the Preakness weekend stakes at Pimlico - he won five stakes between the Friday and Saturday cards - Declan Cannon picked up the mount on Foreign Relations.
“This horse can be a little bit quirky, and I was thankful to get Declan on him, because he knows him well," Murphy said. "He’s worked him in the mornings and rode him in the past. We entered him in an allowance race, but actually scratched to go in the Louisville. The allowance was going a little shorter than this race. We broke his maiden at Turfway a couple starts back and knew his best distance would be a mile-and-a-half on the grass."
Foreign Relations tracked a tepid early pace - 52.48 seconds for the half and 1:19.33 for six furlongs - while never more than three lengths back over a turf course officially rated good after morning rain. Cannon had his mount in third, just heads back, at the quarter pole, and in the clear three wide. Foreign Relations kicked clear when asked, then easily held sway to the wire, finishing the 1 1/2 miles in 2:32.47.
“I sat a really good trip just off the early pace," Cannon said. "Down the lane he really tried hard to the wire. I think Conor and his team found out what this horse likes doing best going long on the grass.”
Limited Liability, who had been sixth at the quarter pole, made up ground late to be second by half a length over English Conqueror, who held third after pressing the pace. They were followed, in order, by Yamato, Tiz the Bomb, Mount Rundle, Time for Trouble, Therapist, Another Mystery, and Bay Street Money.
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