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A slam dunk for Kobe's Back in Commonwealth

Kobe's Back is blossoming into a late-running sprinter for Peter Eurton (Keeneland/Coady Photography) C R K Stable's Kobe's Back (Flatter) rallied from last to prevail in Saturday's $300,000 Commonwealth S. (G3) at Keeneland. Named for L.A. Lakers star Kobe Bryant, he furnished an apt basketball theme for the crowd ahead of the University of Kentucky's Final Four bid later Saturday night in Indianapolis. Kobe's Back broke a step slowly and awkwardly for Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens, but the late runner got an abundance of early pace to set up his strong stretch kick. Up front, Rocket Time (Tiz Wonderful) set fractions of :23 and :45 4/5 under pressure from Jessica's Star (Magnua Graduate). C. Zee (Elusive Bluff), who had been perched in a tracking third, swept on the outside to collar the longtime leader in midstretch. By that point, Kobe's Back was revving into high gear widest of all and surged three-quarters of a length clear at the wire. The gray negotiated seven fast-track furlongs in 1:22 and returned $7.60 as the 5-2 third choice. Rocket Time reported home another two lengths adrift in third, followed by Jessica's Star, Hip Four Sixtynine (Southern Image), 2-1 favorite Bourbon Courage (Lion Heart) and I Got It All (Tiz Wonderful).

Kobe's Back has now turned in two fine efforts since switching to the barn of Peter Eurton. A closing second in the March 7 San Carlos (G2), in his return from a seven-month layoff, the four-year-old colt now sports a mark of 11-3-2-1, $506,250.

The $480,000 OBS March two-year-old purchase was a sensational last-to-first winner of the 2013 Willard Proctor Memorial in his unveiling at old Hollywood Park. Best of the rest behind champion Shared Belief (Candy Ride) next time in the Hollywood Prevue (G3), Kobe's Back was a troubled 10th when stretching out to two turns in the CashCall Futurity (G1).

After crushing the 2014 San Vicente (G2) on the cutback to seven furlongs, Kobe's Back flirted with the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail. But a remote seventh in the 1 1/16-mile Rebel (G2) prompted connections to confine him to sprints. Although winless in his four last starts for original trainer John Sadler, Kobe's Back was a fast-closing third in the Bay Shore (G3), fourth in both the Laz Barrera Memorial (G3) and Woody Stephens (G2) and fifth versus older horses in the Bing Crosby (G1) last summer.

Bred by Joanne R. Mummert in Kentucky, Kobe's Back first sold for $60,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling before bringing eight times that at OBS. He was produced by the winning Well Decorated mare Well, making him a half-brother to Grade 3 victor Well Spelled (Spellbinder).

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