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Flower Alley rallies late for Lane's End Melnyk Racing Stables' FLOWER ALLEY (Distorted Humor) closed fast to win Saturday's $500,000 Lane's End S. (G2) at Turfway Park and threw his hat into the Kentucky Derby (G1) picture. Coming off a maiden special weight victory at Gulfstream Park, the Todd Pletcher-trained colt overcame a lack of experience to capture his third career start by a half-length and returned $22.40, $11.80 and $7.80 to his supporters at 10-1 odds. Ridden by Jorge Chavez, Flower Alley finished 1 1/8 miles over the muddy track in 1:50 1/5. Spanish Chestnut (Horse Chestnut [SAf]) broke on top and led the field through uncontested early fractions of :23 and :46 3/5. Mr Sword (Rizzi) offered a bold, and probably premature, move to grab the lead approaching the far turn, getting six furlongs in 1:11, and opened up a 2 1/2-length advantage at the top of the stretch while getting a mile in 1:36 3/5. Flower Alley, who was briefly steadied nearing the quarter-pole and swung outside for the stretch drive, responded when roused by Chavez and took off after the leader, grabbing the advantage in deep stretch and holding off the fast-closing Wild Desert (Wild Rush) for the win. "He's a little green," Chavez said. "He was stopping and going. But he can run great and he looks like a (Kentucky) Derby horse." Wild Desert, who was off at 6-1 and trailed the entire field through much of the race, was two lengths clear of Mr Sword at the wire and gave back $8 and $5.60. Mr Sword paid $8 at 9-1. The exacta totaled $179.60 and the trifecta $2,119. Magna Graduate (Honor Grades) took fourth, completing the $12,452.60 superfecta (5-3-9-2), and was followed by Andromeda's Hero (Fusaichi Pegasus), 2-1 favorite Spanish Chestnut, Mayan King (Stephen Got Even), Diamond Isle (Gilded Time) and Texcess (In Excess [Ire]). Bred in Kentucky by George Brunacini and Bona Terra Farms, Flower Alley was purchased for $165,000 at the 2003 Keeneland September sale and didn't make his first career start until mid-December, finishing third in a maiden special weight event at Calder. He broke his maiden on February 19 by three parts of a length in a one-mile race and boosted his earnings to $321,660 with Saturday's $300,000 payday. The second foal from the winning Lycius mare Princess Olivia, Flower Alley has an unnamed two-year-old half-brother by Black Minnaloushe and a yearling half-sister by Victory Gallop. "He did his best running when he got off the inside at the top of the stretch and leveled off," Pletcher commented. "It is a credit to his athleticism and raw ability. We are on a tight schedule now (for the Kentucky Derby). I think the Arkansas Derby (G2) or Blue Grass (G1) (both on April 16) will be next."
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