Prado's Sweet Ride runs down Lady Zuzu in Regret

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – There are races when winners looks the part from start to finish. Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Regret Stakes at Churchill Downs just wasn’t one of those races.

With Lady Zuzu holding a commanding lead, she looked headed to the winner’s circle, but a demanding pace took a toll on her late, and longshot Prado’s Sweet Ride surged to victory in the final furlong to edge her by a head in the Regret, the first of four stakes on the program.

A 3-year-old Illinois-bred daughter of Fort Prado, Prado’s Sweet Ride raced 1 1/8 miles on a firm turf course in 1:51.88 and paid $21 as the second longest price in the six-horse Regret.

Winning jockey Julien Leparoux said his instructions were to make one late run, and he followed that strategy, allowing Prado’s Sweet Ride to settle before asking her leaving the final turn. “She kicked on very nice for me in the end,” he said.

Lady Zuzu, who set a half-mile split in 48.49 seconds and three-quarters in 1:13.24, might have beaten herself after becoming too aggressive after a breaking a step slowly. She held the runner-up spot by 1 1/4 lengths over Return to Grace, with favored Don’t Leave Me finishing a non-threatening fourth.

Chris Block trains the winner for owner-breeders Darrell and Sadie Brommer.