Zennor steps up in Lure
Thundering Sky breaks through in De La Rose
By David M. Johnson SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Zennor owned 4-2-1 record in 12 career starts, mostly at the allowance level entering Saturday’s $100,000 Lure on Whitney Day at Saratoga Race Course. Because he had yet to be tested in a stakes race, he was sent off as a 12-1 underdog.
On a big stage against a challenging field of 10 rivals, including course record holder Ring Weekend, it was Zennor who hit the wire first.
The 5-year-old Medaglia d’Oro gelding paid $30.60 to win, completing the 1 1/16 miles on the firm Mellon turf course in 1:39.23.
Besides Ring Weekend, Grade 2 winners in the race included Camelot Kitten, Blacktype and Takeover Target.
“On paper it was a Grade 2,” winning trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “I don’t know how good (Zennor) is. Maybe we’ll step up to a proper graded stake next time even though this was like a graded stake.”
New York-bred Macagone sprung out of the gate to lead the field through fractions of 23.92, 47.00 and 1:09.88. Although he won his last two races from off the pace, jockey Joe Bravo had Zennor just behind the leader for the majority of the Lure.
“Today he laid second,” McLaughlin said. “I give Joe a lot of credit. He figured out the horse and this race. He told us there wasn’t much pace so he might be a little closer. Whatever he did today he did right. It was the correct move.”
As Macagone began to tire at the five-sixteenths pole, Zennor made his move. He went three-wide to gain the lead at the top of the stretch then held off late challenges to top first-choice Projected by a length. Takeover Target was another half-length behind in third and Fire Away a neck behind in fourth.
“Takeover Target ran well of the layoff, but Projected was disappointing,” trainer Chad Brown said. “I thought he had a chance to win and didn’t get there so I’m disappointed with his effort.”
After the race, Bravo was amazed at the ease with which Zennor got to the wire.
“The most impressive thing about the race today is he came back like he did nothing,” Bravo said. “He kicked off at the top of the lane and he kicked throughout it but he still had horse underneath him. As he gets better his confidence is getting better too.”
While it was Zennor’s first start in stakes company, he has experience running with quality horses, including Frosted and Imperia, who he used to train with.
“He was actually the first runner for Godolphin as a 2-year-old and he was way overbet because of it,” McLaughlin said. “It seemed like the logical spot, a non-winners of a sweepstake-type thing, but they were tough horses in here.”
The victory improves Zennor to 5-2-1 from 13 races for earnings of $280,816. finished best to win the $100,000 De La Rose Stakes in Race 10 Saturday.
First-choice On Leave topped Bar of Golf and Elysea’s World in a blanket finish for place and show money.
Thundering Sky, a 4-year-old filly trained by George Weaver, paid $28.60 to win.
“Rajiv (Maragh) gave her a great ride, he timed it perfectly,” Weaver said. “She ran a big race. We have seen her press and put her on the lead a few times and we were adamant that we were not going to do that. Some of the horses that scratched were going to show speed anyway, so the speed in front of us was going to help. But there were still a couple (of speed horses) in there, so we were able to stalk and pounce on them and it worked out.”
Mathew Schera owns the winner.
It was the third win of Thundering Sky’s career and first of her 4-year-old campaign. Her connections mentioned the Noble Damsel Stakes Sept. 23 at Belmont as a possible next start.