'TDN Rising Star' Jace's Road (Quality Road) took advantage of a bit of a stumbling start from favored Determinedly (Cairo Prince) to lead past every pole for a maiden stakes success in Monday's Gun Runner S. at the Fair Grounds.
Sent off the 14-5 second favorite off a forgettable and forgivable eighth-place effort as the favorite in a sloppy renewal of the GIII Street Sense S. at Churchill Downs Oct. 30, the $510,000 Keeneland September graduate found his way to the front as Determinedly–off at 4-5–bobbled slightly and though pressured, was able to race well within himself for the opening three-quarters of a mile. Narrowly in front as they reached the long Fair Grounds straight, he responded to a vigorous Florent Geroux drive from and kept finding through the final furlong to score nicely by five lengths. Raise Cain (Violence) was up on the line to touch the odds-on pop out of second.
Named a 'Rising Star' on Ellis debut back in August, Jace's Road was an educational third in the GIII Iroquois S. Sept. 17, but was reportedly out of sorts from as early as the paddock prior to the Street Sense, was rambunctious and dropped Geroux at the gates pre-start, caught a sloppy track to boot and did no running whatsoever.
The 65th stakes winner for Quality Road, Jace's Road hails from the female family of champion Silverbulletday (Silver Deputy) and GISW Forest Secrets (Forest Wildcat) and has a weanling half-sister by Curlin. Out Post was barren to Quality Road for 2023. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
GUN RUNNER S., $98,000, Fair Grounds, 12-26, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.85, ft.
1–JACE'S ROAD, 122, c, 2, by Quality Road
1st Dam: Out Post (MSP, $203,690), by Silver Deputy
2nd Dam: Secret Wildcat, by Forest Wildcat
3rd Dam: Garden Secrets, by Time for a Change
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($510,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-West Point Thoroughbreds & Albaugh Family Stables LLC; B-Colts Neck Stables LLC (KY); T-Brad H Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-1, $126,800.
2–Raise Cain, 122, c, 2, Violence–Lemon Belle, by Lemon Drop Kid. ($180,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $65,000 RNA 2yo '22 OBSOPN). O-Andrew N & Rania Warren; B-Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Ben Colebrook. $20,000.
3–Determinedly, 122, c, 2, Cairo Prince–Bailzee, by Grand Slam. ($80,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK-TYPE. O-John C Oxley; B-Bedouin Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Mark E Casse. $10,000.
Margins: 5HF, HD, 3. Odds: 2.40, 23.60, 0.90.
Also Ran: Hayes Strike, Andthewinneris, Old Alliance, Mazing Mark.
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