Out for a Spin shocks at 52-1 in Ashland
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Dallas Stewart experienced the highs and lows of racehorse training Saturday afternoon at Keeneland. One moment was filled with sorrow, watching Cathedral Reader sustain a fatal leg injury in the Grade 1 Madison, followed a half-hour later by joy, seeing Out for a Spin register a 52-1 upset in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ashland Stakes.
“In this great game that we have, there are ups and downs and this was an up,” Stewart said shortly after the Ashland.
It also that for her mutuel backers, who were rewarded with a $106.20 payoff – though a place bet seemed a safer wager at one point in midstretch. Although she had taken command leaving the second turn in the 1 1/16-mile Ashland, she was passed between calls in the stretch by Restless Rider, who had looked poised to surge clear.
But the latter, making her first start since a runner-up finish in the Nov. 24 Golden Rod at Churchill, grew weary late, and Out for a Spin refused to give in under Paco Lopez, leading to a neck victory.
By winning the Ashland, Out for a Spin secured 100 qualifying points for the May 3 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, easily enough to secure a starting position in the Oaks if it oversubscribes beyond its capacity field size of 14.
Disappointing the betting public in the Ashland was Jaywalk, last’s year champion 2-year-old filly. Made the even-money favorite, she sped to the front after breaking a step slowly but came under early pressure from her jockey, Javier Castellano, and faded to third, beaten two lengths by the winner.
A fast pace in the Ashland – in which Jaywalk carved out splits of 23.19 seconds, 46.46, and 1:11.60 – may have contributed to Jaywalk’s fade, but the fractions had little effect on Out for a Spin, who hounded the leader from the start.
Jaywalk’s trainer, John Servis, remained upbeat about her Oaks prospects, though he questioned his pre-race decision to tell Castellano to put her on the lead.
It was the second defeat in as many starts as a 3-year-old for Jaywalk, who finished fourth as the 1-5 favorite in the Grade 2 Davona Dale on Mar. 2 at Gulfstream Park.
Out for a Spin, a 3-year-old daughter of Hard Spun owned by Commonwealth Stable, recorded her third victory from five starts in taking the Ashland. She raced 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:44.95.
The Ashland has proven a key Kentucky Oaks prep since Keeneland converted its main track from Polytrack to dirt before the fall meet in 2014. Since that time, three of the last four Kentucky Oaks winners raced in the Ashland. Lovely Maria and Monomoy Girl won both races in 2015 and 2018, respectively, and Cathryn Sophia won the Oaks in 2017 after a third in the Ashland.
Stewart is no stranger to Kentucky Oaks success. He on the 2006 Oaks with longshot Lemons Forever, who lit up the toteboard that year at odds of 47-1.
The Oaks has long been the goal for runner-up Restless Rider, whose connections were optimistic she would benefit from Saturday’s comeback.
