By Alan Carasso
Sent off the 57-10 second-longest shot on the board for Friday's co-featured event on opening day of the spring meeting at Keeneland, Head of Plains Partners' Sy Dog (Slumber {GB}) remained undefeated in three career appearances, holding off Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro) for a narrow success in the GIII Kentucky Utilities Transylvania S.. Coinage (Tapit) bid for the lead on the turn, but was outfinished by the top two and settled for third.
Racing at the back of the field and to the inside of favored Verbal (Flintshire {GB}) as they raced under the wire for the first time, Sy Dog found himself detached from the peloton as they cornered to the backstretch, as longshot Credibility (Nyquist) took them along at a sedate tempo. Coinage was happy to take the sit from second and clocked the pacesetter's every move before being allowed to stride into the lead with about 2 1/2 furlongs to travel. Verbal made a run outside of Coinage into the stretch and looked dangerous for a stride or two, but Sy Dog was asked for his best by Irad Ortiz, Jr., looked to exchange bumps on multiple occasions with Coinage into the final eighth of a mile and kicked on gamely, as Grand Sonata boxed on to earn the place spot.
“My horse was traveling perfect the whole race,” the winning jockey commented. “At the three-eighths pole, I thought it was time to pick it up. He did everything I asked for. He was ready. [Trainer] Graham Motion did a great job and I thank the owner [Head of Plains Partners] and the trainer for the opportunity.”
Sy Dog opened his account at first asking with a visually impressive victory going seven furlongs over the Belmont turf course Oct. 24 and peeled out wide in the stretch of the Nov. 27 Central Park S. at Aqueduct before behind shoved over the line a nose to the good.
Pedigree Notes:
Sy Dog is the second graded winner for his New York-based sire, who is also responsible for the Head of Plains-owned and -bred Fluffy Socks, a graded winner at two and three. My Love Venezuela is the dam of the 2-year-old filly Love Amplified (Exaggerator) and a yearling colt by Mshawish. She was most recently covered by Alternation.
Friday, Keeneland
KENTUCKY UTILITIES TRANSYLVANIA S.-GIII, $390,125, Keeneland, 4-8, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:45.38, gd.
1–SY DOG, 118, c, 3, by Slumber (GB)
1st Dam: My Love Venezuela, by Scat Daddy
2nd Dam: Gold Point Gal, by Deputy Commander
3rd Dam: Stylish Star, by Our Native
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Head of Plains Partners LLC; B-Head of Plains Partners & Madaket Stables (KY); T-H. Graham Motion; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $244,900. Lifetime Record: SW, 3-3-0-0, $349,400. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2--Grand Sonata, 118, c, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–A. P. Sonata, by A.P. Indy. ($125,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP). O/B-Whisper Hill Farm,LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $79,000.
3–Coinage, 118, c, 3, Tapit–Bar of Gold, by Medaglia d'Oro. ($450,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-D. J. Stable LLC, Chester Broman, Sr. and Mary Broman; B-Chester & Mary R. Broman (NY); T-Mark E. Casse. $29,625.
Margins: 3/4, HF, NK. Odds: 5.70, 2.50, 5.10.
Also Ran: Napoleonic War, Verbal, Credibility.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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