Lambeth handles distance in G2 Sycamore, Courtney Snow/Past The Wire
Keeneland Press Release
Carl R. Moore Management’s Lambeth drew in off the also-eligible list and pulled away in the stretch to win Friday’s 32nd running of the $400,000 Sycamore (G2) at Keeneland.
Jose Ortiz rode the 5-year-old son of Arrogate for trainer Joe Sharp, who collected his second graded stakes win of the Fall Meet after winning the Jessamine (G2) Presented by Keeneland Sales on last week’s opening day Fall Stars Friday program.
Lambeth, who drew into the 1 1/2-mile Sycamore after the scratch of Mercante, overcame a wide trip on the final turn to run down Limited Liability and Luis Saez inside the last furlong to win by a length. Vote No and Umberto Rispoli finished third with last year’s Sycamore winner, Desvio, fourth in the field of 12.
Lambeth, 7-1 and coming into the Sycamore off a close second in the Marsh McLennan Bowling Green Gold Cup Invitational going 2 1/16 miles last time out at Kentucky Downs, improved to 2-for-6 on the season in his first start on the turf at Keeneland.
Ortiz kept Lambeth, a stakes winner at the 12-furlong distance on the dirt in the 2025 Temperance Hill at Oaklawn, toward the back of the field through strong early fractions of :23.61 and :46.88 set by the trio of Layabout, Rothschild and English Actor. Layabout had the lead coming out of the second turn, just ahead of Rothschild through 6 furlongs in 1:11.65.
The field bunched up heading toward the half-mile pole and the far turn, with Goldeneye coming away with the lead past the mile split in 1:38.41 ahead of Layabout, 5-2 second choice Tiz Dashing and 9-5 favorite Just a Touch.
Limited Liability rolled past Just a Touch and Tiz Dashing, just ahead of Lambeth, past the quarter pole. Lambeth continued his run and ran past Limited Liability to win in 2:28.08. Vote No finished another 2½ lengths back in third with Desvio fourth. Goldeneye, Navy Seal (IRE), Tiz Dashing, Just a Touch, Echo Lane, Layabout, English Actor and Rothschild completed the field.
Lambeth finished seventh and eighth in his other two turf stakes appearances this season. He improved to 6-for-21 in his career and the $226,300 for the win boosted his bankroll to $906,377.
Lambeth returned $16.98, $8.34 and $5.10. Limited Liability, seventh in the Marsh McLennan Bowling Green Gold Cup Invitational in his last start, returned $11.12 and $7.48. Vote No paid $7.64.
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On Saturday, Keeneland will have 10 races beginning at 1 p.m. ET. The ninth race is the 43rd running of the $750,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana, a prestigious invitational for 3-year-old fillies racing 9 furlongs on the turf. Post time is 5:16 p.m.
Keeneland will offer a Pick 6 carryover of $26,970.55 and a Super High 5 carryover of $17,669.93.
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