Late-blooming Chiron scores second big upset of Turfway meet in Dust Commander
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE?q=100)
Chiron continued to reward his backers at Turfway Park, notching his second big upset of the meet in the $125,000 Dust Commander Stakes on Saturday night.
Chiron paid $73.56 to win in his stakes debut. Prior to this meet, the 6-year-old Protonico gelding was slow to come to hand, breaking his maiden in his 15th career start at Mahoning Valley in Ohio in 2023. A few starts later, he won an allowance/optional claiming race in March 2024 at Turfway for trainer Richard Estvanko. Those two scores were his only career wins until this Turfway meet, at which he has now put together back-to-back strong performances.
On Jan. 26, Chiron won an allowance/optional claiming race by a nose over multiple stakes winner Vote No, returning $81.10. He was still sent away as the longest shot in the Dust Commander, while the post-time favorite was local stakes winner Hush of a Storm. The latter has shown an affinity for Turfway throughout his career, only missing the board once in 10 previous outings in Florence.
Chiron and jockey Sophie Doyle, who also rode him in his most recent win, were never far back in the Dust Commander, tracking in third early as Prince of Power fended off Santorini through a moderate opening half in 47.99 seconds. Chiron moved to near-even terms with those two into the stretch, and after dueling briefly, began to kick clear. He won by 1 1/4 lengths, easily fending off Hush of a Storm, who finished with good energy to edge Prince of Power by three-quarters of a length for second.
The time for the 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta was 1:44.67.
The top three were followed, in order, by Tapit Shoes, Santorini, Bourbon Day, Groveland, Ocean Pointe, Yamato, and Stitched. Confidence Game and Cowboy Justice were scratched.
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