Next Shares sweeps past rivals to win Old Friends Stakes

FRANKLIN, Ky. – Next Shares may have been racing in the $250,000 Old Friends Stakes at Kentucky Downs on Thursday, but he was decidedly unfriendly to his 11 rivals, blowing past them on the outside for a 1 3/4-length victory.

With Drayden Van Dyke, fresh off winning the riding title at Del Mar, in town for the mount, Next Shares always seemed to be traveling well over the unique Kentucky Downs course, settling in seventh early as a three-horse speed duel developed up front between Siem Riep, Siding Spring, and Shut the Box. Then, as the front-runners began to tire and their lead lessened over the pack, it was apparent Next Shares was moving easiest.

He swooped to the lead in early stretch, and extended his advantage down the lane under limited pressure from Van Dyke. He raced a mile on a course officially rated firm, but softened by afternoon rain, in 1:41.79. He paid $7.80 as a slight favorite.

“He was back there cruising,” said Van Dyke. “I was just waiting for the right time to let him run.”

Siem Riep, who sparred for the lead through fractions of 48.50 seconds and 1:13.12, lasted for second, a nose ahead of third-place Parlor. Flatlined, the 2016 Old Friends winner, ran fourth.

A 5-year-old gelded son of Archarcharch owned by a partnership headed by Michael and Jules Iavarone, Next Shares won for the first time in eight races in 2018, though he had come close to victory a couple of times earlier, such as when second in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita in March.

“It was a nice spot, a lot of money, a restricted stake for horses that haven’t won a stake this year,” trainer Richard Baltas said of the Old Friends Stakes. “He has been banging heads with pretty good horses in California. We thought this would be a little class relief and a lot of money for it.”

Besides his $145,700 share of the purse, Next Shares also earned a retirement home, donated by Old Friends Farm founder Michael Blowen.