Royal Son romps in Prairie Bayou Stakes

Showcasing his affinity for the Polytrack surface at Turfway Park, Royal Son rolled by 7 1/4 lengths in the $50,000 Prairie Bayou Stakes on Friday evening.

Backed to favoritism at 4-5 odds, Royal Son appeared to be traveling like the winner virtually from the start. He was comfortably placed in third early under Dean Sarvis, two lengths off the pace of Fast and Accurate, winner of the Spiral Stakes earlier in 2017, and surged past him and fellow front-runner Zulu Alpha before extending his lead down the stretch.

A 5-year-old Tiznow gelding owned by Sweet Home Stables and Mark Parkinson, he raced 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.04, paying $3.60 in the race depleted by numerous stratches.

“The scratches helped bring us closer to the rail, but I was pretty confident in how he would run anyway,” winning trainer Kellyn Gorder said. “He just loves this track.”

Royal Son improved his record 3 for 4 over the Turfway strip and notched his second stakes win over the surface, following the John Battaglia Memorial as a 3-year-old in 2015.

Dac, who had won the Prairie Bayou the previous two years, rallied to be second, 4 1/4 lengths in front of Zulu Alpha, who edged Fast and Accurate by a neck for the show.