Ikerrin Road takes inside route to victory in Kennedy Road Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Ikerrin Road ($15.70) flirted with Pink Lloyd’s six-furlong track record when taking the $181,700 Kennedy Road Stakes after an ideal stalking trip at Woodbine on Saturday.

After breaking a bit slowly from the inside, Ikerrin Road tracked the heavily favored Yorkton, who set honest fractions in the Grade 2 event. The rail was open for Ikerrin Road late on the turn, and he made his way through before hitting the front at the eighth pole en route to a one-length score. Holding Gold edged out Call Me Wally for second, as Yorkton faded to fourth in the nine-horse field.

The final time of 1:08.42 was just .37 off Woodbine’s synthetic track record.

Ikerrin Road, an Irish-bred son of Iffraaj, gave jockey Ademar Santos his first Woodbine stakes triumph.

“He didn’t break sharp, but the plan was to sit [off the pace] a little bit,” Santos said. “It was a little tight on the bend, but I had to shoot for the hole, and he just drove me in there. He wasn’t scared going in that hole. He’s won a lot of races.”

Ikerrin Road earned $105,000 for Alpine Stable, which claimed him for $32,000 in the spring of 2017. The runner-up to Pink Lloyd in last year’s Kennedy Road, Ikerrin Road had a slow start to the meet before peaking this fall.

“The horse got sick twice this year, and almost died,” trainer Vito Armata said. “He had a bit of a rough winter. The horse is lucky to be here, but he came through. I gave him lots of time, and there he is.”