Wolfie's Dynaghost shows easy rhythm in Kentucky Cup Classic victory
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FLORENCE, Ky. -- Trainer Jonathan Thomas had a prediction for John Velazquez as the jockey prepared to ride Wolfie's Dynaghost for the first time.
"Jonathan told me he was training really well," Velazquez said of the trainer, who was not in town for the race. Then the Hall of Fame rider laughed.
" 'I'm not there for the picture, but you're gonna win' - that's what he said!"
Thomas's prediction proved accurate, as Wolfie's Dynaghost ($7.08) and Velazquez cruised to a 2 1/4-length victory in the $300,000 Kentucky Cup Classic on Saturday at Turfway Park.
Verstappen was second behind the post-time favorite, four lengths clear of defending race winner King Cause. It was another length back to Santin, who ran well to be fourth after stumbling badly at the start, bumping his nose on the Tapeta and winding up last in the opening strides. A multiple Grade 1 winner on turf last year, Santin worked his way through traffic to reach striking position before running on to his ultimate placing.
Wolfie's Dynaghost, a 5-year-old Ghostzapper gelding who races as a homebred for Woodslane Farm, was multiple graded stakes-placed in 2022. He has now won three of his last four outings, dating to last September, when he won the Bert Allen Stakes at Colonial Downs in his first start as a gelding. After finishing third in the Bucks County Stakes in October at Parx Racing, he was given a brief season-ending freshening, and in the interim Woodslane transferred him from Tom Albertrani to Thomas's barn. The gelding returned to action with a handicap win in January at Gulfstream.
Wolfie's Dynaghost and Velazquez took over after the opening half-mile of the Kentucky Cup Classic, getting that split in a moderate 48.62 seconds. The duo continued to control the tempo and took a length lead into the stretch. Wolfie's Dynaghost continued to widen from there to win as he pleased, stopping the clock in 1:50.09 for the 1 1/8 miles.
"He was going forwardly, the way we thought he was gonna be," Velazquez said. "He settled nicely. We got into a nice rhythm, and when I asked him to run, he was there for me."
*** Earlier, Idiomatic was a determined winner of her stakes debut, chasing the pace, taking over, and continuing stoutly to the wire for a two-length win in the sister race to the Classic, the $250,000 Latonia for fillies and mares.
Idiomatic ($7.06), a Juddmonte Farm homebred trained by Brad Cox, was recording her third straight win at Turfway after taking a pair of allowance-optional claiming races earlier this year. Chris Landeros was in the irons in the middle leg of what turned out to be a stakes hat trick for the rider. He won the Rushaway Stakes with Rarified Flair and the Bourbonette Oaks with Botanical.
The duo finished the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.50.
Kate's Kingdom was second by three lengths - over Bellamore - concluding a fine Turfway meet in which she won the My Charmer Stakes and finished second in the Wintergreen Stakes.
The race was marred by the breakdown of Vezpa, who went wrong into the stretch. No official word on her condition was immediately available. Jockey Joseph Ramos was not seriously injured and walked from a van back to the jockeys' room.
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