Marathon-man Lone Rock clearly best in Isaac Murphy
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Lone Rock was given a confident ride by Ramon Vazquez when posting a popular victory as Churchill Downs began its five-day Kentucky Derby week Tuesday with the $130,000 Isaac Murphy Marathon at 1 1/2 miles on the main track.
Always ready to pounce when saving ground through all three turns, Lone Rock wrested command from Ry’s the Guy leaving the quarter pole before bounding away to a 3 3/4-length triumph for owner Flying P Stable and trainer Robertino Diodoro. The 6-year-old Kentucky-bred returned $3.80 as the odds-on favorite in a field of seven older horses after finishing in 2:30.52 over a fast surface.
Diodoro claimed Lone Rock for a second time here last fall for $40,000, and since then, the Majestic Warrior gelding has posted three wins and a second in four tries. He now has won 10 of 32 starts.
“A lot of horses can’t go that far,” Diodoro said afterward in an in-house Churchill television interview, “but he’s a pro. He loves to train. The further you go with him, the better he gets.”
Ry’s the Guy, who won this race last year when it was still known as the Champions Day Marathon, had taken over from Dack Janiel’s in the final turn, but it wasn’t long before Vazquez angled out his mount with the winning move. Ry’s the Guy, the 4-1 second choice under Chris Landeros, continued well to hold second by 1 1/2 lengths over Portos, with Plus Que Parfait along for fourth.
The Isaac Murphy, named for the legendary African-American jockey who won three runnings of the Derby in the late 1800s, anchored a nine-race card on the only Tuesday of a 38-day spring meet that began Saturday night.
The $2 exacta (2-5) paid $17.40, the $1 trifecta (2-5-4) returned $33.30, and the 10-cent superfecta (2-5-4-6) was worth $10.58.
Racing resumes Wednesday at Churchill at 12:45 p.m. Eastern with the Kentucky Juvenile as the feature. The week ends Saturday with the 147th Kentucky Derby in which Diodoro will have his first-ever Derby runner, Keepmeinmind.