Shakhimat–a smashing 9 3/4-length winner of Woodbine's Coronation Futurity S. over the all-weather when last seen Nov. 8–quickly established the early lead from his inside draw and wasn't for catching in Friday's opening day feature at Keeneland. Showing the way through fractions of :23.54 and :47.84 over the “good” going, the dark bay kept on finding more in the stretch to register a career high in style.
“I don't know if I thought the win was going to be that easy, but I thought getting the lead was definitely going to be in our wheelhouse,” winning jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson commented.
“Looking through the Form, we were the only legitimate pace. The last time he ran, he put up a quick opening quarter and was on the lead. But he settled back and was in my hands. I knew if I had the same kind of trip today, it would be a similar kind of effort.
She continued, “I had quite a bit of horse turning for home and I thought unless somebody comes with a rapid swoop where he wasn't able to see them, they wouldn't be able to creep their way by him.”
A debut winner going seven furlongs at Woodbine Sept. 19, he tired to finish a well-beaten third when switched to grass in the Cup and Saucer S. there Oct. 11. Freshened following his aforementioned runaway score in the Futurity, he was working well at Roger Attfield's Payson base since last month, including a bullet six furlongs over the lawn in 1:12 Mar. 26.
Ken and Sarah Ramsey purchased the winner's three-time winning dam for $40,000 while carrying a Silent Name (Jpn) filly at the 2013 KEENOV sale. Reggae Rose, a half-sister to Celtic New Year (North Light {Ire}), GSW & GISP, has produced fillies by Kitten's Joy in 2015 and 2016.
Friday, Keeneland
TRANSYLVANIA S. PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SELECT-GIII, $100,000, KEE, 4-8, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:42.65, gd.
1–@SHAKHIMAT, 118, c, 3, by Lonhro (Aus)
1st Dam: Reggae Rose, by Touch Gold
2nd Dam: Reggae Queen, by Dynaformer
3rd Dam: Valid Victress, by Valid Appeal
($80,000 RNA Ylg '14 KEESEP; $60,000 2yo '15 FTFMAR). O-Richard Hogan & Dan Gale; B-Adena Springs (ON); T-Roger L Attfield; J-Emma-Jayne Wilson. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $222,494. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
[bullet ad=”bred-raised-sold-adena”][bullet ad=”ontario-bred”]2–J R 's Holiday, 123, c, 3, Harlan's Holiday–Diza, by Empire Maker. ($40,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP; $55,000 2yo '15 FTFMAR). O-J R Racing LLC (Jerry Roth); B-John A Chandler (KY); T-Jose Garoffalo. $20,000.[bullet ad=”svg-thoroughbred-hip-729-sales-shell”]3–Inspector Lynley, 118, c, 3, Lemon Drop Kid–Criminologist, by Maria's Mon. O/B-Stuart S. Janney, III LLC & Phipps Stable (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. $10,000.
Margins: 3 1/4, HF, NO. Odds: 6.10, 6.90, 4.70.
Also Ran: Converge, Catapult, One Mean Man, Prime Time Man, Sorryaboutnothing. Scratched: Urban Bourbon.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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