LEXINGTON, Ky. – Marablue Farm and Pegasus Stud’s Old Homestead grabbed the lead shortly after the start and cruised to a 3 3/4-length victory over Surfer Dude to win the 74th running of the $400,000 Lafayette for 3-year-olds to open stakes action Friday afternoon.
Trained by Brett Brinkman and ridden by Tommy Pompell, Old Homestead covered the 7 furlongs on a muddy main track in 1:22.98. It is the first Keeneland stakes victory for both Brinkman and Pompell and is Pompell’s first Keeneland victory since the 2010 Fall Meet.
Old Homestead quickly took the lead and with Surfer Dude raced clear of the field in the run down the backstretch through fractions of :22.55 and :45.97.
On the far turn, Old Homestead began to widen his advantage, and at the top of the lane no threats emerged as he coasted to the victory.
The victory was worth $169,725 and increased Old Homestead’s earnings to $212,325 with three victories in three starts. Old Homestead won his first two races going 5 furlongs at Delta Downs by a combined 17¼ lengths with Pompell aboard.
Old Homestead is a Florida-bred son of Overanalyze out of the Songandaprayer mare Pearl de Vere. He returned $21.80, $13.20 and $9.80. Surfer Dude, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., returned $13.60 and $9.20. Osbourne and Tyler Gaffalione were another length back in third and returned $10 to show.
Favored My Prankster was another length back in fourth and was followed in order by Money Supply, American Xperiment, Magnolia Midnight, All in Sync, Ignitis, Unified Report, Tejano Twist and Barossa.
Click here for a replay of the race and the post-race interview with winning connections.
Quotes from the $400,000 Lafayette
Tommy Pompell (winning rider of Old Homestead, his first stakes winner at Keeneland and his first winner at the track since the 2010 Fall Meet)
On how easy it was cruising on the front end
“He took it very well. When I rode him the other two times, we just put him out there on the front end and he seems like he does it so easy. Then when I asked him a little bit, he was gone.”
On where the win ranks among his career victories
“On top.”
On coming back to the winner’s circle at Keeneland on a stakes horse
“It felt great.”
Brett Brinkman (winning trainer)
On why he was confident Old Homestead could get the 7 furlongs
“We watched him all winter and then I worked him three-quarters at Evangeline [Downs in Louisiana] before we shipped up, and he gave me every indication he could get the distance.”
On what a native of Lafayette, Louisiana, does to celebrate winning the Lafayette Stakes
“I’ll probably have to have one drink and a good meal.”
Irad Ortiz Jr. (rider of runner-up Surfer Dude)
“I got a perfect trip; the winner just ran away from me. The winner looked pretty relaxed on the lead, but I just rode my horse with confidence. When I tried to (get closer), the winner just ran away from me. Second best today.”
Luis Saez (rider of beaten favorite My Prankster, who finished fourth)
“He broke pretty well. He broke right there with them. At the half-mile, I feel like everyone else just kept going and the speed was holding a lot. It looks like that’s the key, to get the lead and keep going. The track is good. It’s raining, but not sloppy.”
Racing continues Saturday with an 11-race program that begins at 12:30 p.m. ET and features five graded stakes headlined by the 98th running of the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass (G1), a major prep for the Triple Crown. The Toyota Blue Grass is the ninth race with a 5:10 p.m. post time.
Keeneland Press Release
Photo: Old Homestead. (Coady Photography)
