Lagynos strides to his 5th straight stakes win, Jenny Doyle/Past the Wire
Churchill Downs Press
Lagynos scored his fifth consecutive stakes victory and eighth overall when he spurted clear in the stretch to win Saturday’s 37th running of the $500,000 Wise Dan (Grade II) at Churchill Downs by three-quarters of a length over 15-1 longshot Mercante.
Ridden by Jose Ortiz and trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the consistent 5-year-old Lagynos, owned by His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Mishal Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, completed 1 1/16 miles over a Matt Winn Turf Course rated “good” in 1:41.68.
Lagynos relaxed in the pocket behind leader Silent Heart and mild presser Mercante as the leader set fractions of :23.46, :48.11 and 1:11.87. Lagynos, who raced along the rail, made first run on the leaders at the top of the stretch and grabbed command with an eighth of a mile to the finish. He held all challengers at bay to the wire for the seemingly facile victory.
“He’s just a special horse,” Ortiz said. “He gives me so much confidence every time I get on him because he always shows up. He proved that again today. Steve and his entire team have done another tremendous job with him, and I’m just fortunate to be along for the ride.”
Lagynos returned $5, $3.10 and $2.38 as the 3-2 favorite. Mercante, under Florent Geroux, paid $10.72 and $6.34. Dresden Row, under Irad Ortiz Jr., was another half-length back in third and paid $3.04 to show.
Defending Wise Dan champion Brilliant Berti was fourth and was followed by Flying Mohawk, Silent Heart, Fort Washington, Chasing the Crown and Beach Gold.
Lagynos, named for the ancient Greek and Roman ceramic vessel used to pour wine, earned $297,960 for Saturday’s victory and improved his record to 10-5-7 in 28 starts with earnings of $2,682,431.
His other victories this year include the $175,000 Fair Grounds (GIII) and $300,000 Muniz Classic (GII) at Fair Grounds and $350,000 Opening Verse and $275,000 Arlington Stakes (GIII) at Churchill Downs.
He also won the $300,000 Commonwealth Turf (GIII) and $100,000 Woodchopper at age 3 in 2024 and last year’s restricted $500,000 Tapit at Kentucky Downs.
“He and Jose give each other so much confidence,” Asmussen said. “They’re a great combination, and you saw it again today. Five consecutive stakes wins says everything you need to know about this horse. He’s just a super horse.”
Lagynos, a son of Kantharos out of the Speightstown mare Steamy, was bred in Kentucky by Robert Spigel.
The race formerly known as the Firecracker was renamed in 2016 to honor Mort Fink’s two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan, who completed a spectacular racing career with a perfect four-race season in 2014. The Charlie LoPresti-trained gelding by Wiseman’s Ferry compiled a remarkable lifetime record of 23-2-0 in 31 races with earnings of $7,552,920 from 2010-14. He earned seven of those victories from his 11 starts at Churchill Downs, which included a pair of triumphs in the Firecracker that included his successful debut on the grass in its 2011 running and a hedge-skimming victory over yielding turf in a driving rain storm in 2013.
