King Fury drops opponents in stretch, upsets Lexington at 18-1

King Fury ran back to the form that made him a stakes winner last fall when he splashed to an 18-1 upset Saturday at rainy Keeneland in the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes, a race that seems unlikely to produce a starter for the Kentucky Derby.

The $200,000 Lexington was a 20-8-4-2 qualifier for the May 1 Derby, but King Fury was among those who had no points coming into the 1 1/16-mile race, which was run over a sloppy track. Proxy, the 2-1 favorite in a field of nine, entered with 34 points, but after finishing an uninspiring fourth, he is not expected to proceed to Louisville.

Brian Hernandez Jr. was aboard King Fury for trainer Kenny McPeek in winning the Lexington by 2 3/4 lengths over the late-running Unbridled Honor, who was 20-1. Starrininmydreams was third, another 2 1/4 lengths back, with Proxy another length behind him.

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The winner returned $38.40 after finishing in 1:43.50. It was King Fury’s first start since finishing fifth in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes in late November and his first win since taking the Street Sense at Churchill Downs in late October.

King Fury was given a 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

“This has always been a really, really good horse,” said McPeek. “We were a little aggressive with him last fall. We tested him at the highest levels. We gave him a break, which he needed, and he came back bigger and stronger.”

McPeek said he wouldn’t mind running King Fury back in the Derby but acknowledged the colt probably won’t have enough to make the 20-horse cutoff. The Preakness at Pimlico on May 15 would be next for King Fury if he doesn’t make the Derby, McPeek said.

“It’s out of our control,” he said. “The Preakness is a great race, too. It’ll definitely be one or the other.”

King Fury, owned by Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm, is named for the two-time heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. The Kentucky-bred son of Curlin was a $950,000 yearling purchase.

A fast pace was quick to develop in the Lexington, with Noble Reflection and Swiftsure firing out hard from inside posts and Bezos not far behind. Meanwhile, King Fury was ahead of only Unbridled Honor as the field straightened down the backstretch, but as the leaders began to tire, he began picking off rivals. As they turned for home and the short-stretch run, it was apparent he was going to be clearly best on the day.

“They were going fast,” said Hernandez. “Midway down the backside, my horse went to traveling so good that I thought, ‘Man, they’re in trouble from this point,’ because he was just doing it the right way. He was so powerful that I knew I’d be able to pick our way through like we did.”

After Proxy came Noble Reflection, It’s My House, Swiftsure, Hockey Dad, and Bezos. Ultimate Badger was an early scratch.

The $2 exacta (9-5) paid $438.20, the $1 trifecta (9-5-10) returned $1,244.20, and the 10-cent superfecta (9-5-10-7) was worth $386.27.

The Lexington was the penultimate points qualifier for the 147th Derby, with the Arkansas Derby later Saturday being the last one.