Bombs Away In Bourbon Stakes As Minaret Station Wins at 38-1

Minaret Station, a 38-1 longshot, came flying late to upset the GII Castle & Key Bourbon Stakes and earn his paid spot in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sunday at Keeneland. A homebred for Larry Best's OXO Equine, the bay colt is the first stakes winner for his freshman sire Instilled Regard (Arch), who won the 2020 GI Manhattan Stakes in Best's colors.

Devoid of early speed, Minaret Station settled near the back of the field as Clock Tower took the field through fractions of :22.29 and :47.02. Minaret Station began inching up along the rail approaching the far turn and was still at midpack as Clock Tower skipped clear into the lane. Golden Afternoon and Cavallo Bay (GB) (Pinatubo {Ire}) looked ready to pounce on the leg-weary pacesetter in deep stretch, but Minaret Station found another gear to surge past them all and power clear to the wire.

“We talked about it in the paddock, and the first part of the race we just wanted to let him see where he wanted to be,” said winning rider Cristian Torres. “We know from the quarter pole to the wire, he always accelerates pretty good. He broke and I just let him sit wherever he wanted. He was comfortable under me the whole time. On the backside, I tapped him on the shoulder when we passed about the five-eighths [pole] and he went to the rail. At the quarter pole when I tapped him on the shoulder to pick it up, he picked it up very nice. I give a lot of credit to the horse. He was very professional today compared to his first two races. [Trainer] Will Walden did an unbelievable job with him.”

Walden admitted he hadn't expected his charge to be quite that far back early.

“I didn't expect him to be almost last,” Walden said. “We were kind of toward the back of the pack, when midpack was kind of where we had him spotted. But this turf course has been pretty fair all week. Horses have closed on it well. As he moved up to the quarter pole, I was just hoping the speed didn't back up in his face, and it didn't. Cristian navigated it beautifully and the horse exploded. He got it done.”

Third on debut over the Ellis turf Aug. 5, Minaret Station battled to a narrow first victory going one mile over the grass at Indianapolis Horseshoe last time out Sept. 6.

Pedigree Notes:

Minaret Station is the first foal out of multiple graded stakes winner and multiple Grade I placed Beau Recall. Larry Best purchased the mare for $350,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November sale. In foal to Instagrand, she RNA'd for $285,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November sale. She has a yearling colt by Instagrand and was bred back to that stallion this year.

Minaret Station is one of five winners to date for Instilled Regard, who, in addition to the Manhattan, won the 2019 GII Ft. Lauderdale Stakes, 2020 GII Fort Marcy Stakes and 2018 GIII Lecomte Stakes. He stands at Taylor Made for $7,500.

Minaret Station and @cristiantorr64 close at 38/1 to upset in the G2 Castle & Key Bourbon for trainer Will Walden! 💰🥃

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/EA826vu0dx

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) October 6, 2024

Sunday, Keeneland
CASTLE & KEY BOURBON S.-GII, $347,719, Keeneland, 10-6, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:42.28, fm.
1–MINARET STATION, 118, c, 2, by Instilled Regard
1st Dam: Beau Recall (Ire) (MGSW & MGISP, $1,481,412), by Sir Prancealot (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Greta d'Argent (Ire), by Great Commotion
                3rd Dam: Petite-D-Argent (GB), by Noalto (GB)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O/B-OXO
Equine LLC (KY); T-William Walden; J-Cristian A. Torres.
$198,013. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $223,968. Werk Nick
Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Golden Afternoon, 118, g, 2, Goldencents–Afternoon,
by Street Cry (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($70,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-Pat Greco, Scott Jaffe, Michael P.
Cloonan and Vaccarezza Racing LLC; B-Alexander-Groves
Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Carlo Vaccarezza. $63,875.
3–Clock Tower, 118, g, 2, Not This Time–Hot Stones, by Bustin
Stones. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($100,000
Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Mrs. Fitriani Hay; B-Clarkland Farm LLC (KY);
T-Wesley A. Ward. $31,938.
Margins: 1HF, HF, HF. Odds: 38.44, 11.78, 4.54.
Also Ran: Cavallo Bay (GB), Warlander, Giocoso, Warheart, Siesta Key, Reach for the Rose, Papiamento, Fleming, Baytown Baracus. Scratched: Barricade, Coalmoon, Poster.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.