Frac Daddy too good in Ben Ali

LEXINGTON, Ky. – There may not have been a clear-cut public choice in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Ben Ali at Keeneland, with Norumbega and Newsdad tepid co-favorites at 7-2 and two other horses at 5-1 odds. But the race ultimately had a clear-cut winner, with Frac Daddy romping by 4 3/4 lengths over Stealcase.

Breaking alertly under Alan Garcia, Frac Daddy was always in good striking position, pressing the pace of Red Rifle as that one set slow splits of 25.02 seconds and 49.68 in the 1 1/8-mile Ben Ali. Entering the second turn, Garcia let out some rein on Frac Daddy, and the colt took command with six furlongs in 1:13.52.

The rout was then on, with Frac Daddy opening up on the rest of the field under left-handed urging before being geared down, with Garcia giving him congratulatory pats in the neck before the wire.

“When I asked him a couple times he took off,” Garcia said. “It was so easy today. He’s an impressive horse.”

Frac Daddy, a 4-year-old son of Scat Daddy owned by Carter Stewart’s Magic City Thoroughbreds, won for the fourth time in 14 starts and recorded his second victory in as many races over Keeneland’s Polytrack synthetic surface. He raced the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.61, and paid $13.20.

Nikki’s Sandcastle closed to be third, three-quarters of a length behind runner-up Stealcase. Late-running Newsdad, left with much to do behind the slow pace, made a belated rally for fourth.

Although Frac Daddy ran on dirt last spring and summer - finishing second in the Arkansas Derby, 16th in the Kentucky Derby, and 14th in the Belmont - winning trainer Ken McPeek said he would likely keep him on synthetic or turf for now.

“I may shift him back to the grass if there aren’t any Polytrack races available, and they are going to be slim,” he said in reference to Keeneland removing its Polytrack surface after this meet.