LEXINGTON, KY – Trainer Rusty Arnold’s Leinster, away since winning the Shakertown Stakes (G2) over this course and distance in July, returned with an equally-impressive effort Saturday to win the $150,000 Woodford Stakes Presented by TVG (G2) at Keeneland.
Leinster broke quite quickly from post 8 as the 5/2 second choice under Luis Saez and sat just off of the right hip of Just Might through an opening 1/4-mile in :21.90.
Gunning to the lead near the 3/16 pole, Leinster drew clear once asked and had more than enough left late to withstand a push from Extravagant Kid and win the 5 1/2-furlong firm turf sprint by a 1/2-length in 1:01.59.
Leinster set the current course record of 1:00.86 when winning the Shakertown.
“He broke pretty sharp,” Saez said. “He put me on the lead, but we didn’t really want to be there. We wanted to track somebody. We had a perfect position and I had a lot of horse. He just took off.”
Extravagant Kid (whose jockey, Tyler Gaffalione, rode Leinster in his past 6 starts) was 3/4 of a length clear of Just Might, himself a 1/2-length ahead of Chaos Theory.
Fast Boat, Chaps, Real News, Citrus Burst, and Win Lion Win completed the order of finish.
Leinster’s win avenged his 1/2-length defeat in last year’s running and improved his overall record to 22-5-6-4. The 5-year-old son of Majestic Warrior has now earned $614,211 for co-owners Amy Dunne, Brenda Miley, Westrock Stables, and Jean Wilkinson.
“We had a little setback – he had a foot problem,” Arnold said regarding Leinster’s recent time away. “We actually were going to run him at Kentucky Downs (but) we didn’t get to run. Maybe it’s a blessing because he stayed right here on his home track. He got to work on this turf course a couple of times – I think that’s a big edge. Worked out good.”
Leinster returned $7.80 to win, $4.20 to place, and $3 to show. Extravagant Kid brought back $4.60 to place and $3.20 to show, while Just Might paid $4.80 to show.
