Prevalence continues big day for Godolphin with victory in Commonwealth
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- It would be hard to top the Blue Grass Saturday that Godolphin experienced last year, as its Eclipse Award champion Essential Quality won the day's main event, a prelude to a spring and summer campaign in which he won the Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes to earn a divisional title.
But this Blue Grass Saturday, Godolphin again had a reason to celebrate. Not only did homebred Prevalence score his first stakes victory in the first of the day's graded stakes events, the Grade 3, $300,000 Commonwealth Stakes, his half-brother Emirates Road won a maiden special weight earlier on the card in the Godolphin blue. Both are trained by Brendan Walsh.
"It's great a big day for that family, and the whole Stonerside connection that we have from way back when," Dan Pride, chief operating officer for Godolphin U.S.A., said. "It's a special day."
Prevalence ($7), sent away as the second choice in the Commonwealth, was away in good order from post 9 in the field of 10 under Tyler Gaffalione. He quickly established an ideal spot tracking on the outside of favored Nashville, who scampered away from the gate and, aided by a strong tailwind down the backstretch, set sharp opening fractions of 22.12 seconds for the opening quarter, and 44.61 for the half on a sloppy, sealed track. Meanwhile, Long Range Toddy was hand-ridden along to keep up after breaking from post 2.
Prevalence rolled up to Nashville's throatlatch as that one began to fade, and made a strong bid three wide to take over command. He inched clear of the game Long Range Toddy, and easily had enough to hold on as others put in late bids down the lane. He crossed the wire 2 1/4 lengths in front, finishing the seven furlongs in 1:22.47.
Long Range Toddy held second by a head over the rallying O Besos, with Surveillance, who briefly loomed a danger in upper stretch, another length back in fourth. They were followed, in order, by South Bend, Three Technique, Manny Wah, Endorsed, Atoka, and Nashville, who gave way down the lane.
"He felt good down the backside, but at the top of the stretch he just wasn’t able to keep up," Nashville's jockey Luis Saez said.
Prevalence, a 4-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro, won his first two starts by open lengths early last year at Gulfstream, but then was sixth in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial and eighth in the Grade 3 Pat Day Mile. He emerged from that race with a minor issue, and did not return to the races until this year, again at Gulfstream. In his second start off the layoff, he won a one-mile race by 4 ¾ lengths, setting him up to cut back in distance for his return to graded company.
"He came back just unbelievable," Walsh said. "He's done super physically, as well as everything else."
Prevalence, a 4-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro, is the third stakes winner produced by Enrichment, a Ghostzapper mare who is a full sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Better Lucky, from the immediate family of Breeders; Cup Sprint winner Desert Stormer. Enrichment is also the dam of Estihddaf, winner of Group 3 U.A.E. 2000 Guineas, and New York-bred stakes winner Libreta. Along with Prevalence, the mare is currently represented on the track by the 3-year-old Quality Road colt Emirates Road. In Saturday's second race at Keeneland, Emirates Road, also ridden by Gaffalione, was a one-length winner of his second career start. He did not debut until last month at Gulfstream, finishing fifth.
"He had a similar feel last year [to Prevalence]," Walsh said. "It took us awhile to get him to the races, too. They're showing that they've been worth the wait, which is fantastic."
While emphasizing that Walsh would have the final vote, Pride said the Grade 1, $750,000 Churchill Downs Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard May 7 would be a logical next stop for Prevalence.
"It would be hard to talk us out of it," Pride laughed. "We'll talk to Brendan, but I'd say that would be on the short list."