Stubbins sets new course record in Woodford win

Stubbins not only kept his barn's success in Kentucky going in the Grade 2, $200,000 Woodford Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland – he did so in style, establishing a stakes and course record for the turf sprint.

Stubbins ($17.20) became the third graded stakes winner to ship in to Kentucky for California-based trainer Doug O'Neill in since the calendar turned to September. The trainer also sent in Lazy Daisy to win the Grade 2 Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs, and ran one-two with Legends of War and Stubbins in the Grade 3 Franklin-Simpson Stakes at Kentucky Downs. Lazy Daisy earned an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies next month at Santa Anita with her victory. Legends of War is considered possible for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint – a race Stubbins could now join him in after blitzing 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:01.44 on a Keeneland turf course rated firm after no significant rain in Lexington in the last month. The previous course record was 1:01.53, established by Perfect Officer in April 2012; the previous stakes record was 1:01.67, clocked by Sgt. Bert in 2006.

Stubbins, a 3-year-old Morning Line colt owned by McShane Racing, won three consecutive races earlier this year at Santa Anita, taking a pair of turf sprints followed by an off-the-turf score in the one-mile Pasadena Stakes. That earned him a trip overseas, where he finished sixth in the Group 2 UAE Derby.

Following a freshening, Stubbins returned to finish a solid third against older horses in an optional-claiming race won by Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint candidate Eddie Haskell. After finishing sixth when trying a route on turf in the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap, Stubbins cut back to a sprint in the Franklin-Simpson and was beaten 1 3/4 lengths by his stablemate Legends of War. He took on older horses again in the Woodford, with Joel Rosario, who was aboard him for the first time at Kentucky Downs, retaining the mount.

"Today it looked like there was good speed in front," Rosario said. "It was a little different. He came running [last time] and was a good second, and today he came running [again]."

Indeed, Stubbins had pace to run at. The colt was last of nine after a quarter-mile as Satellite Storm led a well-held Fareeq through a sharp opening split of 21.18 seconds. Meanwhile, Leinster, sent away as the second choice, and favored Imprimis were stalking the pace in fourth and fifth, respectively. Leinster, like Stubbins, was coming off a defeat at the hands of a stablemate at Kentucky Downs, having finished third in the Grade 3 Runhappy Turf Sprint behind fellow Rusty Arnold trainee Totally Boss and Smart Remark. Imprimis won the Grade 2 Shakertown Stakes, the graded turf sprint contested during Keeneland's spring meeting, before finishing fourth behind Leinster at Kentucky Downs.

Stubbins improved his position around the turn, and was racing fourth in upper stretch as the field straightened away, with several bumps exchanged as the group bunched up for the drive. Leinster seized a half-length lead over Fareeq in the stretch, but Stubbins, under a long, steady drive, forged his way ahead in the final stages to win by three-quarters of a length.

After Stubbins and Leinster, Imprimis was another 1 1/2 lengths back in third, two lengths clear of Smart Remark. The latter was a neck ahead of last year's Woodford runner-up Extravagant Kid, who got the worst of the drive when steadied in the stretch.