Odds-on Kimari takes Bolton Landing Stakes by four lengths

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Kimari had to fend off a couple of early challengers but in the end proved superior, as expected, over five overmatched rivals in the $100,000 Bolton Landing Stakes, the highlight of Wednesday’s 10-race program at Saratoga.

Kimari was making her first start since finishing a game second in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes decided over good to soft ground eight weeks earlier at Royal Ascot. She was racing without blinkers for the first time in three career starts in the 5 1/2-furlong New Bolton with regular rider John Velazquez aboard.

Kimari was pressed for the early lead by Vast, edged clear of that rival leaving the backstretch but was quickly joined by Abscond and a wide running Champagne Humor on the turn. But once Velazquez said go at the top of the stretch, Kimari asserted her class, readily scampering away to an easy four-length victory.Abscond ran well to be second best, finishing a length in front of a tiring Champagne Humor. Vast, Classy Sadie, and Persian Queen rounded out the complete order of finish.

Kimari, a daughter of Munnings owned by Ten Broeck Farm, completed the distance over a firm course in 1:01.43 and returned $2.50.

“She’s a beautiful filly and I’m really, really happy to see her win like that,” said trainer Wesley Ward, who was home in South Florida on Wednesday to attend his daughter’s 18th birthday party. “Early on in her training, the only negative was that she was a little slow out of the gate. In fact I was very surprised she broke as well as she did in England. It’s been quite some time since that race and she got left again today. Fortunately, she’s so quick and agile, she moves like a cat, she was able to recover like she did.”

Ward said that although he plans to keep Kimari on turf for the immediate future, he plans to put her back on the dirt again as she moves forward in her career. Kimari won her debut by 15 lengths over the main track at Keeneland on April 25.

“She’s equally effective on dirt but I’ve had her on grass because she had some little issues coming out of her first start and I think if we kept her on dirt moving forward, it could have led to some bigger issues,” said Ward. “Physically, she’s flawlessly perfect so I’ll keep her on turf through the Breeders’ Cup. I don’t want to change anything off the way she’s shooting now.”

Ward said he would talk to the owners regarding future plans, although he said his initial thought would be to just train her up to the Breeders’ Cup.