Lone Rock makes short work of Isaac Murphy Stakes
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Lone Rock once again showed himself superior among North American main-track marathoners with a 7 1/2-length jaunt in the $160,000 Isaac Murphy at soggy Churchill Downs, where Kentucky Derby week got under way in earnest with a rare Tuesday card.
Lone Rock, ridden by Ramon Vazquez, easily rebuffed an upper-stretch bid from Hozier in the Isaac Murphy, run over a muddy track and at the three-turn distance of 1 1/2 miles.
Breaking from post 1 in a field of just five older horses, Lone Rock seized early command without much urging from Vazquez, leading through soft fractions of 49.51, 1:15.43, and 1:40.94 before steadily pulling clear in the final furlong, finishing in 2:33.49. He paid $2.60 as a huge favorite.
“Ramon did a good job controlling the race,” said trainer Robertino Diodoro.
Hozier was second, 3 1/4 lengths before Current in third. Completing the order were Tenfold and Celerity.
Diodoro, who claimed Lone Rock here in November 2020 for $40,000 on behalf of Flying P Stable and Randy Hill, said beforehand that he was slightly concerned Lone Rock was coming back too quickly from the 7-year-old gelding’s April 3 victory in the 1 1/2-mile Temperence Hill at Oaklawn Park.
“He showed today he was ready,” Diodoro said afterward. “Anytime you can get a horse that can take you all over the country in stakes … he’s just phenomenal. He’s done a lot for our team.”
Lone Rock now has racked up nine wins and two seconds in 12 starts for Diodoro, including wins last year in both the Murphy and Grade 2 Brooklyn at Belmont Park. A return in the June 11 Brooklyn will be next, said Diodoro.
The $2 exacta (1-5) paid $16 and the $1 trifecta (1-5-2) was worth $27.10.
The Isaac Murphy honors the legendary African-American jockey who won three runnings of the Kentucky Derby prior to his death in 1896 at age 35. Because of the short field and obvious favorite, it was carded as the second of nine races.
A strong storm followed the Murphy by about 30 minutes, forcing a brief delay between the third and fourth races.
This will be the only Tuesday card of the year at Churchill, which otherwise will normally operate on a Thursday-to-Sunday schedule during the 44-day spring meet, which runs through July 4.