Kentuckian earns first stakes in Lazaro Barrera

ARCADIA, Calif. – Kentuckian could not keep up with the fast pace in the opening quarter-mile of Sunday’s $100,250 Lazaro Barrera Stakes at Santa Anita. Yiannis and Serbian Syclone tore off to an opening quarter-mile in 21.84 seconds, with Kentuckian trailing by two lengths.

“He was running, and I thought, ‘How fast are they going?’ ” said Mike Smith, who rode Kentuckian.

On the turn, after a half-mile in 43.64, the frontrunners began to tire, allowing Kentuckian to swoop to the front with a three-wide move. Smith’s job was essentially done. Kentuckian pulled clear through the stretch to win by 6 1/4 lengths.

The style of the win suggests that Kentuckian could develop into a contender for the major stakes for 3-year-olds in the summer.

Smith never used his whip in the Grade 3 Barrera. In the final furlong, Smith thought he heard announcer Trevor Denman say a rival was closing, but it was a false alarm. He quickly tucked his whip away.

“I looked at the big screen, and I put it down,” Smith said. “After a half-mile, he settled into a big, fluid stride.”

Kentuckian ($4) finished seven furlongs in 1:20.97. Forest Blue closed from fifth to finish second, 2 1/4 lengths in front of The Gomper. Yiannis faded to finish fourth, followed by Serbian Syclone and St. Joe Bay.

The win gave owner Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farms its second stakes win in as many days at Santa Anita. On Saturday, Porter’s Bal a Bali won the Grade 3 American Stakes. Bal a Bali is co-owned with Siena Farms.

Porter paid $610,000 for Kentuckian at the 2013 Keeneland September Yearling sale.

“We normally don’t pay that much, but he’s special,” Porter said.

Kentuckian won his first stakes in his third career start in the Barrera Stakes. Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Kentuckian won a maiden special-weight race by 11 lengths at Golden Gate Fields on March 7 in his debut and was a troubled third as the 3-5 favorite in the San Pedro Stakes for 3-year-olds at six furlongs April 12.

Kentuckian has earned $85,080 in his three-race career.

“This was a big race for the horse,” Hollendorfer said. “He looks like he wants a route of ground,” Hollendorfer said.

Hollendorfer said Kentuckian is a candidate for the $100,000 Affirmed Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on dirt June 6.

“I think we’ll look at that race,” Hollendorfer said.