Kitodan ($82) surprises again, this time in Audubon Stakes
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
Kitodan posted his second post-claim upset victory for as many sets of connections this year, scoring to the tune of an $82 payout in the $200,000 Audubon Stakes for 3-year-olds on the turf Saturday evening at Churchill Downs.
Kitodan was a $35,000 claim by Mike Maker for Paradise Farms and David Staudacher out of a starter-optional claiming win on Feb. 6 at Gulfstream. The colt subsequently won another race at that level, and then took the Rushaway Stakes on April 2 on Turfway’s synthetic track, posting a mild $17 upset.
Maker ran the colt back in an allowance-optional claiming race May 16 on the Churchill Downs turf. Kitodan was offered for the $80,000 tag, and went to the barn of trainer Eric Foster, on behalf of Foster Family Racing, Douglas Miller, and William Wargel after finishing third, beaten less than a length.
Kitodan’s Audubon victory, in his first start off the claim, improved his record to four wins from five outings this year. He earned $116,990 for the win to push his career bankroll to $334,610.
“We claimed him for $80,000 and just wanted to try and win a race,” Foster said. “This race came up and thought we’d give him a shot. What an absolute thrill for our team and these guys behind me. This is so amazing. Gerardo (Corrales) rode a phenomenal race and gave it everything he had and Kitodan responded. What an amazing feeling.”
Despite his consistency, Kitodan was overlooked in Saturday’s wagering, sent away as the longest shot on the board in the field of 11. Grand Sonata, the only graded stakes winner on the turf in the field, was the heavy favorite.
However, it was Kitodan, under Gerardo Corrales, who rallied from seventh at the three-eighths pole to make a five-wide bid for the lead, with Smokin’ T moving nearly in tandem to the inside of him to take the lead in upper stretch. Those two dueled down the lane, with Kitodan getting his head down in front of a tenacious Smokin’ T at the line. They finished the nine furlongs in 1:49.85.
Behind them, it was 3 3/4 lengths to Grand Sonata, who came on well for third after he was last after the opening half. He was followed, in order, by Play Action Pass, Red Run, Major General, James Jones, Speaking Scout, Summer Anthem, Spin Wheel, and Tallahatchiebridge.