Lexington S.

Darley Stable's WOODLANDER (Forestry) dueled with Reel Legend (Catrail) for

the lead in Sunday's $109,700

Lexington S. (G3) at Belmont Park, took over by

the time a half-mile had been reached in :50 1/5 and never looked back en route

to a three-quarter-of-a-length victory. With Edgar Prado in the irons, the Tom Albertrani-trained sophomore set splits of 1:14 2/5 for six furlongs

and 1:38 for the mile before finishing 10 furlongs in 2:01 4/5.

Woodlander was sent off as the near 5-1 fourth choice in the six-horse field

and paid $11.60, $5.10 and $4.40. Reel Legend got the first split in :24 3/5 and

held well for second, returning $5 and $3.90 while ending the $68 exacta. Prince

Rahy (Rahy) rounded out the $290.50 trifecta (6-1-7) and was worth $4.20 for

coming in another 3 1/4 lengths back in third. Big Prairie (Danzig), Im

Spartacus (GB) (Namaqualand) and Dynaglider (Dynaformer) finished out the order

under the wire after Monopoly Pricing (Horse Chestnut [SAf]) and First Word

(Chester House) were withdrawn.

Woodlander pushed his earnings to $138,930 to go along with a 8-3-2-0 career

mark while taking his stakes debut here. Bred in Kentucky by Mike Connelly, the

bay colt brought $350,000 from his current connections as a Keeneland September

yearling. He is the second registered foal out of the unraced Kingmambo mare

Madam Lagonza and has an unnamed yearling half-brother by Johannesburg as well

as a 2005 unnamed half-sister by Mineshaft.

Albertrani said that Woodlander could go next in the National Museum of

Racing and Hall of Fame S. (G2) on August 8 at Saratoga.