Land of Lincoln: Top Kick wires

The 64-year-old trainer Paul Darjean has weathered some lean recent years, but now he has come up with a good horse. Top Kick, who won his career debut here only one week ago, led all the way from post 1, beating the much more accomplished, heavily favored Humor at Last by 4 1/4 lengths in the $90,950 Land of Lincoln Stakes. Darjean gallops Top Kick himself. He also bred and co-owns the colt with Dick Millard.

Top Kick ($20.40) made an easy lead and won without being hard-ridden in his maiden race, and Darjean already had nominated him to the Land of Lincoln.

"I already had my mind made up to run," Darjean said.

Jockey Uriel Lopez broke Top Kick on top, and the horse carried him to a big victory, setting fractions of 22.17 seconds for a quarter-mile and 45.95 for a half on the way to a six-furlong time of 1:11.99. Humor at Last battled on for second, finishing less than a length ahead of Dress for Success.