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Ball Four strikes at Turfway Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor's BALL FOUR (Grand Slam) took the lead soon after the start and never looked back en route to a half-length win in the $350,000 Kentucky Cup Classic S. (G2) over Turfway's Polytrack on Saturday. Trained by Patrick Biancone and piloted by Willie Martinez, the gelded five-year-old set splits of :23 3/5, :47 2/5, 1:11 2/5 and 1:35 4/5, before completing the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48 1/5. Breaking from the gate as the nearly 13-1 longest shot in the field, the bay paid $27.80, $9 and $4.40 in gaining his initial graded win. Perfect Drift (Dynaformer) found himself in behind a wall of horses in the stretch and closed well when he finally found room, but could do no better than the place. The ageless seven-year-old went off the 2-1 second choice and paid $3.40 and $2.40 while completing the $83 exacta. Good Reward (Storm Cat) was last following the opening half-mile but closed to earn the show, paying $2.80 at 4-1 in the process. The winning trifecta came back $494.60, and the 3-7-2-6 superfecta was worth $1,553.80 when Alumni Hall (A.P. Indy) got a nose down to finish fourth at 11-1. Even-money favorite Premium Tap (Pleasant Tap), who clipped heels and was steadied hard turning for home while trying to squeeze through a gap on the inside, was a nose in front of Greeley's Galaxy (Mr. Greeley). It's No Joke (Distorted Humor) was withdrawn. Ball Four was making his first start in more than five months, and more than doubled his bankroll to $433,920 with the winners portion. The five-year-old, who captured the Tejano Run S. in March, atoned for a runner-up showing in this event last year and now boasts a 16-5-1-3 career mark. The winner, bred in Kentucky by B D Gibbs Farm LLC and Grand Slam Farm LLC, brought the gavel down at $110,000 at the 2004 Fasig-Tipton November Kentucky Select Mixed Sale. He is out of the unraced Lyphard mare Making Faces, and has a trio of unraced half-sisters, a two-year-old named Pretty Face Fay (High Yield), an unnamed yearling by Broken Vow and a 2006 unnamed El Corredor.
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