Wise Dan wins 2014 debut in Maker's 46 Mile

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Wise Dan made a successful return to action Friday when getting a cautious but winning ride from John Velazquez in defeating 37-1 shot Kaigun by nearly a length in the 26th running of the Grade 1, $300,000 Maker’s 46 Mile on the Keeneland turf.

Wise Dan, the reigning two-time Horse of the Year, glided clear after turning for home and was safe from a late surge by Kaigun, with the others well defeated. Wise Dan, now a winner in 20 of 28 career starts, returned $2.80 as the prohibitive favorite in a field of six older horses.

“I kind of let him get his position, and he did it from there,” said Velazquez.

Bred and owned by Morton Fink and trained by Charlie LoPresti, Wise Dan most likely will run next in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic on the May 3 Kentucky Derby undercard. Last year, Wise Dan swept the Maker’s 46 and Woodford in his first two starts en route to a second straight championship that consisted mostly of turf races at or about one mile.

However, Fink and LoPresti have said scheduling in 2014 will be different for Wise Dan than during the last two years, although they have yet to commit to anything specific.

“We’re looking at the Woodford, and then we’ll just see,” said LoPresti. “Let’s see how he comes out of this.”

Under mostly cloudy skies and before a crowd of 14,325, Wise Dan tucked willingly behind a trio of frontrunners through the early going before Velazquez wheeled him out widest on the course and into a clear spot for the run down the backstretch.

On the far turn, Wise Dan drew abreast of the leaders with a circling move without being asked, with Lochte also going with him. By the eighth pole, Wise Dan had put away Lochte, and with Velazquez giving only mild urging in the final furlong, the gelding was never in danger of being caught by the oncoming Kaigun. The win margin was three-quarters of a length.

Kaigun, with Alan Garcia riding for Mark Casse, finished another 4 1/4 lengths ahead of Lochte, the 9-2 third choice. Za Approval, the 7-2 second choice, had a tough inside trip under Julien Leparoux when another 1 1/4 lengths back in fourth. The order was rounded out by Gentleman’s Kitten and Alakazan Alakazan. Reload was an early scratch.

LoPresti conceded he might not have had Wise Dan fit enough for his 7-year-old debut.

“Charlie said, ‘I don’t know if I’ve got him tight enough, so you better save some horse,’ ” said Velazquez. “That had me kind of concerned, but I got him to relax and in the clear, and he got the job done.”

“I was worried about the winter and the time we lost with him,” said LoPresti. “I told Johnny just to give him an easy race, and he did a great job. This is going to put us where we need to be going forward.”

Fink and his wife, Elaine, were in from Chicago for the race.

“It’s like a dream, the whole thing,” said Fink. “He does everything right.”

Wise Dan became the second two-time winner of the Maker’s, which was first run in 1989, following Kip Deville (2007-08). He earned $180,000, lifting his career bankroll to $6,473,610.

The $2 exacta (3-7) paid $37, the $1 trifecta (3-7-6) returned $69.20, and the 10-cent superfecta (3-7-6-1) was worth $13.26.