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Zanjero lands Kentucky Cup Classic Winchell Thoroughbreds' ZANJERO (Cherokee Run) split horses to reach the lead at the top of the stretch and comfortably captured Saturday's $350,000 Kentucky Cup Classic (G2), recording a 1 1/2-length decision over the Polytrack at Turfway Park. Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, the four-year-old is now likely headed to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on October 25. Sent off the 5-2 third choice in the six-horse field, Zanjero stalked the pace in fourth through an opening quarter-mile in :23 3/5 and dropped back to fifth after a half-mile in :47 3/5. Pacesetter and 8-5 favorite Honest Man (Unbridled's Song) surrendered the advantage on the far turn to Extreme Supreme (Deputy Minister), who reach the three-quarters mark in 1:11 4/5, and Zanjero was starting to uncork his rally. He encountered traffic leaving the far turn but bullied his way through rivals to strike the front, and the dark bay colt was never threatened in the final furlongs, eventually stopping the teletimer in 1:49 1/5 for 1 1/8 miles. Zanjero returned $7.40, $3.80 and $3.20, and Extreme Supreme, who held well to be a clear second at 12-1, paid $10 and $5. Canela (El Corredor), the longest shot on the board at 42-1, snagged third and yielded $6.60. The exacta tallied $52, the trifecta $565.60 and the 2-3-5-1 superfecta, with Honest Man in fourth, was $1,631.20. Yate's Black Cat (Black Minnaloushe) and Stream Cat (Black Minnaloushe) rounded out the order of finish. Bred in Kentucky by Tony Holmes and Walter Zent, Zanjero sold for $700,000 at the 2005 Keeneland September sale. He's out of the unraced Checkered Flag (A.P. Indy), which makes him a half-brother to the multiple stakes-winning filly Victory Lap (Touch Gold) and a yearling colt by Ghostzapper, and he's a full brother to the Grade 2-placed filly Acacia. Winner of the Indiana Derby (G2) and West Virginia Derby (G3) last year, Zanjero finished a close third in the 2007 Blue Grass S. (G1) and placed in the Pennsylvania Derby (G2), Louisiana Derby (G2), Northern Dancer S. (G3) and Risen Star S. (G3). He also counts a runner-up finish in the 2006 Remsen S. (G2) on his resume. The colt entered the Kentucky Cup Classic off a victory in the West Virginia Governor's S., and he's placed in the Lone Star Park H. (G2) and Texas Mile S. (G2) this season. With Saturday's $220,260 payday, Zanjero's now bankrolled $1,620,786 from an 18-6-5-4 line.
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