Red Danger scores after stalking trip in Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint

Red Danger stalked the pacesetters under Luis Saez, finished with good energy down the center of the Kentucky Down course, and won the $500,000 Juvenile Sprint by three-quarters of a length over Romancer late Thursday afternoon.

Trained by Brian Lynch for Silverton Hill Farm, Red Danger was a one-paced fifth debuting on dirt at Saratoga but has found his calling on grass. He won a Saratoga turf-sprint maiden race at second asking and followed up with a solid stakes score.

The Juvenile Sprint is officially run over 6 1/2 furlongs but a long run-up before the timer starts makes the race’s raw distance closer to seven. Off splits of 21.85 seconds, 45.24, and 1:10.03, Red Danger clocked 1:16.51 and paid $7.20 to win.

Kaufymaker, a filly facing males and the 9-5 favorite, finished third but was a beaten horse at the furlong pole. Stalking the early pace, she’d moved into contention at about the half-mile pole and was the leader in midstretch, but Kaufymaker had no answer when Red Danger, who was fourth turning for home, came to her on the outside. Still farther out, Romancer put in a solid bid to finish second while never seriously threatening the winner. Second-choice Masseto, making his U.S. debut after being imported from Ireland, was slow into stride and never reached contention, finishing fifth.

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Red Danger is a colt by Orb and is the first named foal out of Forget It, by Distorted Humor. He was bred in Kentucky by DATTT Farm and as a weanling was sold at a November 2019 auction for just $17,000, a purchase price he earned many times over on Thursday alone.