Stitched pops a 46-1 upset in Wise Dan Stakes

Not only did Kentucky-based trainer Greg Foley send out his popular millionaire Bango for a stakes victory on Saturday’s loaded card at Ellis Park, he pulled off a massive upset for a stakes double, as Stitched returned $94.50 for his win in the Grade 2, $400,000 Wise Dan Stakes for older horses on the turf.

Stitched won the Caesars Stakes in Indiana and the Mystic Lake Derby at Canterbury last year. However, he had been winless in four outings since the Mystic Lake Derby, most recently finishing ninth in an allowance/optional-claiming race last month at Churchill Downs, relegating him to longshot status in the Wise Dan.

“His first two races this year were good, but he really threw in a clunker last out, which wasn’t like him,” Foley said. “Hats off to the owners for wanting to be aggressive and put him in this race. We were very disappointed after his allowance race. We thought he’d win that day. The owners were ready to take on this race and credit to them. He looks like a million bucks and Flavien [Prat] rode a perfect race.”

Stitched and Prat came four wide into the stretch to reach within a length of tenacious leader Get Smokin. With a final rush, the duo was up in time to win by a neck. The time was 1:40.97 for the 1 1/16 miles on turf rated good.

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After Get Smokin, it was another neck back to favored Set Piece, who was gaining while third.

“The pace probably hurt him today over this course,” said Florent Geroux, aboard Set Piece for Brad Cox. “It was softer here than last time when he was able to close into slower fractions. He came with his run down the stretch but couldn’t get by the leaders.”

American Derby

Geroux and Cox did team for a win as Wadsworth overhauled pacesetting Mo Stash in the lane to win the $225,000 American Derby for 3-year-olds on the turf.
It was a breakthrough first stakes victory for Godolphin homebred Wadsworth ($4.50), sent away favored. Grade 3 winner Mo Stash set a moderate pace and still led into the stretch before coming under strong pressure, with stalking Hidden Path second by a head and Wadsworth and Geroux another head back in third.

Wadsworth kicked away to win by a length, finishing the 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.96.

Mo Stash was easily second-best, two lengths clear of Desert Duke, the longest shot on the board, who came on for third.

* In the final turf stakes of the day, Xigera wore down Heavenly Sunday in deep stretch to win the $225,000 Tepin, the sister race to the American Derby. Xigera ($4.16) covered the one-mile distance in 1:35.37 with Julien Leparoux in the irons for Phil Bauer.

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