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Aikenite earns gold tray for Dogwood in Commonwealth

Aikenite finally broke through with a first stakes victory (Wendy Wooley/EquiSport Photos) AIKENITE (Yes It's True) rallied to the lead in deep stretch and drew clear to a 2 1/4-length decision in Saturday's $175,000 Commonwealth S. (G2), rewarding owner Cot Campbell's Dogwood Stable with a gold tray from Keeneland for their eighth graded stakes win at the Lexington, Kentucky, track. Only 16 other owners in Keeneland history have earned a gold tray. Trained by Todd Pletcher, who recorded his second straight stakes victory following the success of Stratford Hill (A.P. Indy) in the Shakertown S. (G3) one race earlier, Aikenite paid $4.60, $3.20 and $2.40 as the 6-5 second choice in the five-horse field. The four-year-old colt, who owns four graded placings, netted his first career stakes win, completing seven furlongs on the Polytrack in 1:22 1/5 with jockey John Velazquez. Cool Bullet (Red Bullet) wound up easily holding second. After dueling through splits in :22 3/5 and :45 1/5, Cool Bullet spurted clear turning for home but could not withstand the rally of Aikenite, who settled comfortably in fourth and waited until the stretch to launch his run. It was another two lengths back to Le Grand Cru (Dynaformer) in third and even-money favorite Wise Dan (Wiseman's Ferry) came next under the wire. Taqarub was eased.

Bred in Florida by Brylynn Farm, Aikenite initially passed through the sales ring as an 2008 OBS August yearling, selling for $60,000, and was purchased by Dogwood for $225,000 at the 2009 OBS February two-year-old sale. He is out of the Saint Ballado mare Silverado, a half-sister to English Group 3 winner and French Group 1-placed filly Love of Silver (Arctic Tern) and 1998 Golden Gate Derby winner Clover Hunter (Jade Hunter). This is also the female family of 2000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) vixen Collect the Cash (Dynaformer).

As a two-year-old, Aikenite attracted notice with a third in the Hopeful S. (G1) and went on to finish second in the Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland. He entered last year as a Kentucky Derby (G1) contender, and recorded a non-threatening third in the Fountain of Youth (G2), but wound up opting for the Derby Trial (G3) following an eighth in the Blue Grass S. (G1), finishing second in the opening-day feature at Churchill Downs. Aikenite posted an allowance victory at Belmont Park last June, but he was unplaced in his remaining four stakes appearances, wrapping up 2010 with an eighth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

The dark bay colt entered the Commonwealth off an encouraging second to subsequent Carter H. (G1) runner-up Apriority (Grand Slam) in a March 5 allowance/optional claiming event at Gulfstream Park. Aikenite has now earned $487,460 from a 17-4-3-2 line.

"We've been looking forward to running Aikenite here for a while now," Pletcher said. "He seems to like the surface here and came into (the Commonwealth) really well."

Dogwood's previous stakes wins at Keeneland came in the 1971 Alcibiades (now Grade 1) with Mrs. Cornwallis; 1989 Forerunner (G3) with Luge II; 1990 Blue Grass (G2) and 1991 Fayette (G2) with Summer Squall; 1992 Phoenix Breeders' Cup (now Grade 3) with British Banker; 1996 Beaumont (G2) with Golden Gale; and 2005 Perryville (G3) with Vicarage.

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