Orthodox pays $93.20 in American Turf

The husband-wife team of John and Kim Glenney come up with an inordinate number of turf-stakes horses, considering the small scale of their operation. A longshot named Orthodox ($93.20) became the latest, winning the Grade 3, $150,000 American Turf Stakes on Friday by a three-quarters of a length over Battle of Hastings.

The American Turf was marred by the fatal breakdown of favored Stormalory, a royally bred son of Storm Cat who was favored to win the race for trainer Bill Mott. Stormalory was pulled up before the half-mile pole with a fractured left-front cannon bone and pastern, and shortly thereafter was euthanized, according to Dr. Mary Scollay, equine medical director for the Kentucky Racing Commission.

The Glenneys have campaigned such good grass horses as Kim Loves Bucky and, more recently, Transduction Gold. Orthodox, a homebred son of Pulpit, looked like the latest in the line when he won a Fair Grounds turf allowance race over the winter in fairly impressive fashion. But then came a bad loss in the Lane's End on Turfway Polytrack, and, back on turf, another one in the Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland.

But Friday, things set up perfectly for Orthodox and jockey John Court. A free-running sort, Orthodox raced just behind pacesetting Turfiste, in the clear because Bunker Hill, the race's other pace presser, misbehaved in the gate and missed the break. The pace was moderate - 24.23 seconds to the quarter, 48.86 to the half - and Orthodox took over from Turfiste at the top of the stretch. California invader Battle of Hastings tried to get involved late, but his mild rally fell short. Turfiste held on for third. The winner ran 1 1/16 miles on good turf in 1:44.37.