With a $610,000 KEESEP pricetag and a highly regarded half-brother that earned a record 114 Beyer Speed Figure at first asking on his page, it's safe to say that the bar was set high for Fox Hill Farms colorbearer Kentuckian (c, 3, Tiznow–Forest Music, by Unbridled's Song).
The gray–favored at 3-5 in his Golden Gate unveiling Saturday–certainly did his part by running away with an eye-catching 11-length graduation (video), stopping the clock for six furlongs in a snappy 1:08 4/5. The 'TDN Rising Star'earned a 90 Beyer for the effort.
“He's been our number one pick all along,” owner Rick Porter commented. “For me to pay that kind of money, [Tom] McGreevy and I thought he was a horse we really needed to have if we could get him.”
Kentuckian–a half-brother to the aforementioned Hill 'n' Dale sire and fellow 'TDN Rising Star' Maclean's Music (Distorted Humor)–showed promise in his initial works at Santa Anita last November for Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, firing a quick pair of three-furlong breezes before re-locating to Northern California earlier this year due to a foot issue. He posted three straight bullets over Golden Gate's Tapeta surface heading into his debut.
“Jerry [Hollendorfer] was excited as soon as he got him,” Porter said. “He had an issue with a quarter crack that went on longer than we anticipated. Finally, he said, 'Why don't we send him up to Golden Gate because my wife's the best foot person that I know.' I said, 'If she's the best foot person, let's let her fix it.'”
Kentuckian's feet looked just fine Saturday. The son of the talented Unbridled's Song mare Forest Music showed the way through an opening quarter in :22.54. With his ears flickering back and forth just waiting for a command from Russell Baze at the top of the stretch, he was hand-ridden down the lane to the easiest of victories. Kentuckian, bred in the Bluegrass by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, will be aimed at an entry-level allowance at Santa Anita, according to Porter.
This is the first year that Fox Hill has been represented with a West Coast string in California. Hollendorfer trains all four runners, including recent GIII Santa Ysabel S. third-place finisher Glory (Tapit).
“Jerry [Hollendorfer] tells me that [Kentuckian] likes the track at Santa Anita a lot, too,” Porter offered. “We'll see how he does there. If he shows that he's as impressive as he was in his debut, then we'll look for something better. I like to get two races under their belt before we start looking for anything else. He galloped out extremely strong and Russell [Baze] said that he could've went around again.”
Porter concluded, “The way he was twitching his ears, you could tell he wanted to do a little bit more. We're very excited about him. We didn't beat the best horses in California, but he got a race under his belt. We're just hoping that he's a good one. He's got a beautiful pedigree and I love the fact that he's out of an Unbridled's Song mare. There's no question that he's a two-turn horse.” –By Steve Sherack
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