Aikenite makes amends over Apriority in Churchill Downs

Revenge was sweet for Dogwood Stable's Aikenite in Saturday's

$348,900

Churchill Downs S. (Grade 2) as the four-year-old was along in the final strides

to pip Apriority by a nose in the seven-furlong Derby day fixture

for older horses. The positions had been reversed in a March 5 allowance at

Gulfstream when Apriority, fresh off a narrow loss in the Sunshine Million

Sprint, dusted Aikenite by 4 1/2 lengths in that rival's 2011 debut. Trained by

Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, Aikenite returned $28.60, $12.60 and

$8.40 at odds of 13-1.

The early pace was hot enough to be advantageous to a closer like Aikenite,

who settled in eighth while racing three-wide down the backside. Up front,

Captain Cherokee held a small lead over Delong Road

and Le Grand Cru through early splits of :22 2/5 and :45. None of

those three were able to sustain themselves for long in the stretch as both

Capt. Candyman Can and Apriority turned up the heat turning

for home, launching their bids from mid-pack.

Capt. Candyman Can, who made a four-wide bid rounding the turn, opened up two

lengths with a furlong left, but ran out of reserves as Apriority surged on the

outside. Aikenite, who moved into contention after a six-wide bid at the bend,

was also moving strongly at the end and just managed to get his nostril at the

wire first in a time of 1:21 2/5. Ibboye, a 21-1 chance, had one

horse beaten a quarter-mile out and flew home on the far outside to land third

by a nose over Capt. Candyman Can. The high-paying exotics returned $144.20

(exacta), $2,399.60 (trifecta) and $13,496.60 (1-3-7-6 superfecta).

The order of finish was rounded out by Noble's Promise, 5-2 favorite

Smiling Tiger, Here Comes Ben, Captain Cherokee, Mythical Power, Delong Road, Le Grand Cru and Chocolate

Candy.

As a two-year-old, Aikenite attracted notice with a third in the Hopeful S.

(Grade 1) and went on to finish second in the Breeders' Futurity (Grade 1) at Keeneland.

He entered last year as a Kentucky Derby (Grade 1) contender, recording a

non-threatening third in the Fountain of Youth S. (Grade 2), but wound up opting for

the Derby Trial S. (Grade 3) following an eighth in the Blue Grass S. (Grade 1). He

finished second in that opening-day feature at Churchill Downs, and later posted

allowance victories at Belmont Park and Keeneland. However, he he was unplaced

in his remaining four stakes appearances, wrapping up 2010 with an eighth in the

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (Grade 1).

Following his second to Apriority in the aforementioned Gulfstream allowance,

Aikenite earned a belated first stakes win in the April 16 Commonwealth S. (Grade 2)

at Keeneland by 2 1/4 lengths over four rivals. His record now stands at

18-5-3-2, $688,635.

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 and 1998 Golden Gate

Derby winner Clover Hunter. This is also the female family of 2000

Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (Grade 1) vixen Collect the Cash.