Bentornato dazzles in his 4YO debut in the Louisville Thoroughbred Society (Jenny Doyle/Past The Wire)
Churchill Downs Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bentornato, who hadn’t raced since his narrow half-length defeat to Straight No Chaser in last year’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (Grade I) at Del Mar, dazzled in his 4-year-old debut by putting away classy leader Skelly and drawing away for a widening 5 ¼-length win over Here Mi Song in Saturday’s fifth running of the $300,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society at Churchill Downs.
Bentornato, a Florida-bred, zipped six furlongs over a fast track in a stakes record 1:08.43 that broke Just Might’s 2021 mark of 1:08.71. Irad Ortiz Jr. rode the winner for trainer Jose D’Angelo and owner Khrysselv Mavarez’s Leon King Stable Corp.
This was the fifth stakes win for the son of Valiant Minister, who most notably won the $400,000 Gallant Bob (GII) at Parx as a 3-year-old.
As expected, Skelly, who entered the race with 19 top two placings in 22 starts, ran off to the early lead through an opening quarter mile in a swift :21.90 with Bentornato tracking to the inside just off his left hip. Around the turn, Skelly opened up but Bentornato swung to the outside and quickly engaged at the top of the stretch. From there, it was all Bentornato as he impressively drew away from all rivals in his first start in 315 days.
“This was all Bentornato,” Ortiz said. “He broke sharp and I wanted take him back to get outside. Once I was able to get outside, he just took off. He’s a really impressive horse and did a lot of that on his own.”
Bentornato rewarded his backers with $5.56, $3.86 and $2.90. Here Mi Song, at 14-1, rallied to pay $9.82 and $4.72 while being ridden by Edgar Morales. Skelly, with Luis Saez aboard, was another head back in third and returned $3.14 to show.
Roll On Big Joe, Durante, Ajaayb, Banjo Chris and Little Ni completed the order of finish. Nash, Full Moon Madness and World Record were scratched.
Bentornato, out of the Put It Back mare Her Special Way, won for the sixth time in his 10-race career. The $150,350 payday jumped his earnings to $1,282,180.
“Our goal is to get back to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and this was a great spot to get him back to the races,” D’Angelo said. “We’ll see how he comes out of this race to see if he needs another start before the Breeders’ Cup but he seems to be a horse that may not need to have another start. He’s been doing great since we got to Kentucky and Irad (Ortiz Jr.) gave him a great trip today.”
The race is named for the Louisville Thoroughbred Society, which opened for regular hours of operation in March 2021. The Louisville Thoroughbred Society is Louisville’s only on-site wagering by Churchill Downs in the heart of Louisville’s metropolitan scene. The premier club for Thoroughbred enthusiasts is open for private membership applications, and reservations for special events are being accepted. For more information, visit www.thelouisvillethoroughbredsociety.com.
