Stewart looking for first win at home track in Limestone
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LEXINGTON, Ky. – John Stewart’s Resolute Racing has won graded stakes at multiple U.S. tracks, including, in partnership, the Grade 1 New York with Didia. Since buying into accomplished international runners, Stewart has enjoyed success with Believing in Dubai and Goliath in France, and is pointing Vertical Blue to the European classics.
Stewart, who introduced himself as a high-end player in the fall of 2023, first became interested in racing when attending Keeneland while working for Toyota outside Lexington. The founder and managing partner of MiddleGround Capital, a private equity firm, he purchased a former Shadwell property in Midway, Ky., to be the base his business. He considers Keeneland his home track, but does not yet have a winner here.
“We bought a bunch in Europe, and I want to be real competitive on the turf,” Stewart said. “We haven’t won a race at Keeneland yet. I want to break that streak.”
Stewart will be unveiling some of his European purchases as his first stakes starters of this meet. It Ain’t Two, purchased for just over $152,000 at Tattersalls, goes in Friday’s $300,000 Limestone for 3-year-old fillies sprinting on the turf. The Limestone is part of a $1 pick six sequence on Friday that begins with a carryover of $211,733.
Stewart, who uses a variety of trainers, placed It Ain’t Two with Riley Mott. On Saturday, Chad Brown saddles Excellent Truth in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley. Resolute purchased her for more than $1.6 million at Arqana.
Stewart said he made purchases to specifically suit the Keeneland turf, which he feels runs softer than other U.S. courses. This will be the ninth course It Ain’t Two, who has already made 13 career starts, will race over. The minor English stakes winner is part of an overflow field – 12 may run and there are four also-eligibles – with Shisospicy, coming off a zippy win in her turf debut, the lukewarm morning-line favorite.
It Ain’t Two was last seen winning the Bosra Sham by a nose in November at Newmarket, just holding at six furlongs. She cuts back to 5 1/2 furlongs here. She placed in two other minor stakes in England, with all four of her wins to date on courses rated good or soft.
It Ain’t Two will have to adapt to the quicker style of American racing, with plenty of pace in this lineup, including Shisospicy. Twice stakes-placed sprinting on dirt, Shisospicy moved to turf for a front-running allowance win at Gulfstream Park. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 86, the top career number in this field.
Other pace threats are rail-drawn My Lil Punky, coming off two stakes placings on Turfway’s Tapeta; Afternoon Diva; and stakes winner Dreamaway, who in her last start was third in the Speakeasy six months ago in California. She removes blinkers, which, along with being drawn outside the other speed, may help her relax.
Kilwin and Abientot cut back after finishing fifth and 14th, respectively, in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. It remains to be seen where Kilwin will ultimately land, distance-wise. Although she won the Untapable at Kentucky Downs at 6 1/2 furlongs, that course often plays longer, and a pure sprint may be too quick for her. She was well situated in third at the Breeders’ Cup when she lost her path.
Abientot, who will rally from off the pace, cuts back to a preferred trip. She won the Grade 3 Matron sprinting at Aqueduct.
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