Retribution defies lack of experience in winning Chick Lang

BALTIMORE - What Retribution lacks in experience, he made up for with sharpness and grit in the $150,000 Chick Lang Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters on Saturday at Pimlico. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said the colt made his job easier at several points en route to winning his stakes debut in just his third career start.

Retribution is trained by Cherie DeVaux, who was in Kentucky to saddle runners at Churchill Downs on Saturday night, for Belladonna Racing, Twin Brook Stables, Woodford Racing, B.C.W.T. Ltd., Savvy Stables, GRC Racing, and Taylor Creek. He paid $20 to kick off a an all-stakes Pick 6 that ends with the Preakness Stakes.

The Vekoma colt won his debut in February at Fair Grounds, then was third in an allowance last month at Keeneland. One Nine Hundred, who raced well in a pair of key maiden races before breaking through with an eye-catching score in March at Aqueduct, was sent away favored in a field that included a pair of stakes winners.

Second choice Ancient World, unbeaten in two starts, broke well from post 3 to lead in the first jumps, but One Nine Hundred rushed up for the lead with pressure from Faster Gator through the quarter in 22.86 seconds and Ancient World shuffled back to fourth.

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Meanwhile, Retribution broke well from the outside in the field of 11. Ortiz was happy as the colt put him in fifth early for an uncomplicated run down the backside.

"When he broke so well, it made my job a lot easier," Ortiz said. "It looked like there was a lot of speed on paper. I was afraid to have to take a hold and drop in - he’s only had two races. It was great when he broke sharp. I was able to let the speed go and sit in the clear."

Turning for home, One Nine Hundred had a clear lead, but Ancient World had overcome traffic and worked his way out for another bid on the outside. He was just heads apart with Faster Gator, who was fading, and Retribution, who was just revving up. Ortiz said the colt made his job easy again by putting himself in gear on the far turn.

Retribution put a head in front of Ancient World in the stretch, kicked clear, and had plenty in reserve to hold off a late run from Touchy, who came down the center of the track. Retribution won by 1 3/4 lengths.

"In the middle of the turn, he started making his move on his own. I said, 'Beautiful,'" Ortiz said. "Then I got a horse next to me, and [Retribution] fights, and I said, 'Okay, let's do it.'"

Retribution's time for the six furlongs was 1:11.27 on a track rated fast as the day continued to warm.

After the top two, it was 1 3/4 lengths back to Ancient World, who edged stakes winner Normandy Coast by a half-length to be a creditable third. They were followed, in order, by One Nine Hundred, Perfect Force, Faster Gator, Slam Notion, Tiny Lake, Chipotle, and Keep It Easy.

The Chick Lang is one of several events on Preakness weekend named for beloved people, horses, or symbols in Pimlico's history - memories that carried additional poignancy on this final major weekend before the track is closed and rebuilt. The late Chick Lang, best known for his role as general manager of the Maryland tracks, is credited with tirelessly promoting the Preakness and raising its national profile. He was affectionately known as "Mr. Preakness."

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