Thoroughbred Horse Racing Contender Victorious
Adriano surged to a commanding lead with little urging from jockey Edgar Prado entering the stretch of the $500,000 Lane’s End Stakes (G2) on Saturday at Turfway Park and coasted to a 2 1/2-length score.
Prado and the chestnut A.P. Indy colt drew clear in the final furlong as Adriano comfortably secured his first career stakes victory.
Trained by Graham Motion for owner-breeder Donald Adam’s Courtlandt Farms, Adriano entered off an unplaced finish on February 24 at Gulfstream Park in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2), in which he was steadied entering the first turn of his first career start on dirt.
Adriano previously had shown plenty of promise on turf, winning a maiden special weight race on grass by three lengths at Saratoga Race Course in August and posting a dominant 6 3/4-length romp in 1 1/16-mile allowance race at Gulfstream Park on January 11 in his season debut. He finished fourth in the Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity (G1) as a juvenile on the all-weather Polytrack surface at Keeneland Race Course, and delivered a dominant performance on Turfway’s Polytrack in the Lane’s End.
Adriano stalked pacesetter Duke of de Buqe from fourth through an opening quarter in :23.03 in the 1 1/8-mile race. Adriano accelerated ahead to challenge for the lead on the far turn when Prado let out a notch on the reins and powered clear to a two-length advantage at the eighth pole.
“I thought he was extremely impressive,” said...
Adriano is just one of the 2008 Kentucky Derby contenders. Horse race handicappers will no doubt have their skills tested this year.
