Edgar Morales and Epic Ride cross the thread. (Jenny Doyle/Beyond the Wire)
Epic Ride gives Ennis First Graded-Stakes victory
Kentucky Downs Release
Franklin, Ky.-the 4-year-old gelding of Welch Racing Epic rideA stubborn second in his Prep last month in Ellis Park, took the command from the start and kept all the Komers in the play to make a 14-1 upset by giving two lengths above the favorite lemynos and trainer John Ennis his first Graded-Stakes victory in the $ 2.5 million Fanduel Millions Invital.
The Mint Mint Mint Millions Invitational for 3-year-olds and higher was the second of six interests, five registered, worth $ 13 million in wallets anchored by the $ 2.5 million Kentucky Turf Cup (G2).
Driven by Edgar Morales, Epic Ride won for the first time since he was moved to the grass, three starts back. It was the second effort of the son of the debt after the Leonatus of a mile on the surface of the entire weather in Turfway Park, while on the Triple Crown Trail of 2024 eventually landed him in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
“The last race was his first route that went two turns. I felt that the kilometer of one turns around here a little better,” said Ennis. “He was probably under the radar, but I thought we definitely deserved a shot. I didn’t think we were coming here to participate. He trained so well. The horse never trained so well.
“He is run against such a heavy company on the dirt, on the grass. He just excel that dirt in the grass. There are not so many horses that will run so well on the dirt and grass,” he added. “He is running against Sierra Leone, maybe one and a half length behind him. He is run against the gray. Ren against many of those good sprinters in the Perryville. He all danced with them. I knew there was a big one. Today was great.”
On board the preview of Kentucky Downs Turf Mile 2 August, when they ran in second place everywhere and three -quarters of a length of the beach length, Hurry Morales Epic Ride of post 11 of 13, just within beach gold, to get an early position. Racing in the middle of the immediately they sailed by a quarter of miles in 22.41 seconds and a half in 44.83 with beach gold that flanked to their outside.
Six Furlongs went in a sharp 1: 08.32 with little change in a tightly danged group in front. Limynos, winner of the $ 500,000 tapit 28 August in Kentucky Downs who broke from far outside, went to a threatening position in the long left -handed far away. Morales and Epic Ride were not impressed, changed with confidence in the soft uphill stretch and never surrendered, with the wire crossing two lengths in 1: 32.42 over a well -assessed course.
Lemynos won steadily through the lane to be in second place along beach gold. Briljante Berti was fourth, followed by Major Dude, St Anthony, Point Lynas, title defender Goliad, Air Recruit, Swift Delivery, Cairo, Spirit of St Louis and Steal Sunshine.
Epic Ride, who made his second start as a gelding after leaving 13-1 in his earlier start, returned $ 30.54 to win.
‘First I had to thank [trainer] John [Ennis] And all owners for the chance. It was just beautiful, “said Morales.” He had his ears up all the way up. He loved the course. When I got around the front at the front, I was loaded all the way. When I tapped him, the game was on. He sprinted home and it felt great. ‘
While he was on the Triple Crown Trail, Epic Ride finished second in the John Battaglia Memorial and third in the Toyota Blue Grass (G1) to earn a shot in the derby, where he stalked the pace before he was moving at 14one Behind mystik then. He was eliminated until the fall when he heated death for third place in the Perryville (G3) in Keeneland. This year, Epic Ride had two victories and two seconds from six previous starts, including second place in the Maryland Sprint (G3) on 17 May on the Undercard of the Preakness Stakes (G1).
“This is exactly there with his entry in the derby two years ago, the 150th run for the Roses. Incredible victory. Above that,” said George Hough van Welch Racing. “That is hard to do. And we have now only been three races on the peat. John Ennis has made the right decisions. I am going with him and pretend that I know what I am talking about. We certainly hope that we can go to Del Mar. Many conversations, although before.”
Ennis indicated that he was planning to bring an epic ride directly to the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) November 1.
“I am so lucky. You see him here in the paddock and he is as cool as you want. Every trainer in the country would like him,” he said. “He excelled. He just got better. We prevented him. I persuaded the owners to let him distribute it. I said: ‘Look, he won’t be a stallion. He could make a great running horse and run for many years. “I said,” I would like to try the grass and hang him. ” And here we are. “
Limynos, winner of the opening-day TAPIT STAKES, closed from the eighth to wear the beach from the beach for second place after breaking post 13.
“He won from there (the outer post) the last time, no excuse, I was very happy with where I was,” said Jose Ortiz, who rode Limynos. “The pace was a lot fast; I was very satisfied with the quarter pole. I never thought that horse (epic ride) would continue. He went pretty quickly. He knew Goliad, which is quite surprising and continued. But I have no complaints about my journey.”
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