Change of Control Rolls to Giant’s Causeway Victory

LEXINGTON, KY – Horseshoe Racing’s Change of Control rolled past the even-money favorite Into Mystic late to secure victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Giant’s Causeway Stakes at Keeneland.

Change of Control broke from post 8 under Colby Hernandez at 8/1 odds and settled into a three-wide mid-pack stalking position while Elle Z dueled inside of Jakarta through opening fractions of :23 flat and :46.97.

An opening along the rail near the 1/4 pole, allowing Into Mystic to slip through and challenge for the lead at the top of the stretch. The bettors’ choice looked gone until halfway home, when Change of Control arrived on the scene with a flurry.

Taking the lead near the 1/16 pole, the Michelle Lovell-trained Change of Control crossed a length clear while completing the 5 1/2-furlong yielding turf sprint in 1:04.48. It was Hernandez’s first stakes win at Keeneland.

“She broke very well and put me in a great position,” Hernandez said. “I was sitting about third or fourth right on the outside. In the top of the lane, I tipped her out and made her switch leads and she just ran on. When she switched over to her right lead, she ran on. She really kicked on whenever she switched.”

Into Mystic took second by 4 1/2 lengths over Jakarta, who necked out In Good Spirits for third. Fashionable Lady, Elle Z, and Oooh Barracuda completed the order of finish.

Dixieincandyland and Karak scratched from the race, as did A Bit of Both, who was a late scratch after she tossed her jockey during the post parade and briefly ran loose around the track.

Change of Control’s win was her second at the stakes following the 2019 Mamzelle at Churchill Downs and improved her overall record to 25-6-5-5. The 5-year-old daughter of Fed Biz (himself a son of the late champion Giant’s Causeway) has now earned $413,939 and represented Lovell’s 500th career training victory.

“It’s really special to get (my first stakes victory) at Keeneland, and it’s really special to get it with this filly,” Lovell said. “She’s been the most honest horse, and she just ran so great today. We weren’t expecting her to be able to run them down on the soft turf, so she proved us wrong. She always wins on the long odds anyway, so she’s a champ to me.”

Change of Control returned $19.80 to win, $6 to place, and $3.40 to show. Into Mystic brought back $3.20 to place and $2.40 to show. Jakarta paid $2.80 to show.