Lagynos makes it five straight in Wise Dan

One race before winning the Stephen Foster (G1) with Magnitude, Steve Asmussen and Jose Ortiz teamed up to take Saturday’s $500,000 Wise Dan (G2) with the streaking Lagynos.

The Wise Dan was one of four turf stakes on the banner card at Churchill Downs. Favorites swept all four on a course that remained good despite the rain. 

Wise Dan (G2)

The Wise Dan is a case study in what a difference a year makes. HRH Sultan bin Mishal al Saud’s Lagynos was third to Brilliant Berti in last year’s Wise Dan, but the two have gone in different directions since. Lagynos entered Saturday’s renewal in the form of his life, riding a winning streak, and he promptly extended it to five. 

Bet down to 3-2 favoritism after capturing the May 30 Arlington (G3) on Stephen Foster Preview Day, Lagynos worked out his typical trip from just off the pace. The son of Kantharos was nestled on the inside as Silent Heart carved out fractions :23.46, :48.11, and 1:11.87. Lagynos steered out in pursuit of the clear leader upon straightening for home and asserted by three-quarters of a length in 1:41.68 for 1 1/16 miles.

Mercante, who chased in second early but lost position, finished with renewed energy for runner-up honors. Dresden Row checked in third, and Brilliant Berti was a wide-trip fourth. Flying Mohawk, Silent Heart, Fort Washington, Chasing the Crown, and Beach Gold concluded the order under the wire. 

Lagynos has bankrolled $2,682,431 from his 28-10-5-7 line, reflecting wins or placings in a grand total of 18 stakes. His current skein spans the Feb. 14 Fair Grounds (G3), March 21 Muniz Memorial Classic (G2), April 30 Opening Verse S., and Arlington prior to the Wise Dan, while his earlier victories include the 2024 Commonwealth Turf (G3) and Woodchopper S. as well as the 2025 Tapit S. at Kentucky Downs. 

Bred by Robert Spiegel in Kentucky, the $200,000 Keeneland September yearling is out of the Speightstown mare Steamy. That makes him a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Vision Perfect. 

American Derby

Last time out in the May 29 Penn Mile (G3), D. J. Stable’s Alpyland beat Immortalised by four lengths. The same two repeated the exacta by almost the same margin in the $265,000 American Derby, with Alpyland opening up by 3 1/2 lengths.

The 0.84-1 favorite enjoyed a straightforward stalk-and-pounce trip with regular rider Javier Castellano. Tracking early leader Thousandsticks, Alpyland took command at the top of the lane. Immortalised tried to challenge, but Alpyland drew off. The Mark Casse pupil covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.29.

Slow-starting Brave Force got up for third, followed by Bust Out, Thousandsticks, Fulmine, and the tailed-off Comport. Prepped and Serac were withdrawn.

Alpyland was racking up his fourth stakes win, all at different tracks. The Vekoma gelding scored in the Dania Beach S. on New Year’s Day at Gulfstream Park and the March 7 Columbia S. at Tampa Bay Downs prior to his lucrative victory at Penn National. His resume now reads 11-6-0-2, $724,706, including a third in the Kitten’s Joy S. and a fourth in the American Turf (G1) over this course and distance on Derby Day.

Bred by Denis L. Villella in the Bluegrass State, Alpyland was purchased for $185,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling. The bay is out of the Kela mare Il Brigante.

Tepin S.

The companion stakes for three-year-old fillies, the $258,500 Tepin S., witnessed an even more dominant winner in Tam Tam. The 2.02-1 favorite established new stakes records for both her winning margin (5 3/4 lengths) and her time of 1:35.36 for the mile.

Trained by Phil Bauer and piloted by Junior Alvarado, the Rigney Racing runner moved up to engage longshot front-runner Faye’s Gold down the backstretch. Tam Tam effortlessly struck the front when her pace rival retreated entering the far turn, and she blew the race open down the lane.

East Jabip closed as best of the rest, three-quarters of a length up on Use Me. Bohemian rallied from last to snatch fourth from Ground Support, trailed by Final Accord, How About Now, Turner’s Charm, Mescat, and Faye’s Gold. Woodstock was scratched.

Tam Tam’s scorecard stands at 8-3-2-2 with $468,800 in her account. Since taking her stakes debut in the March 28 Sanibel Island S. at Gulfstream Park, she placed in a pair of graded events at Churchill. The bay just missed in the Edgewood (G2) and finished third in the Regret (G3).

A $975,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, Tam Tam was bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings. She is bred on the potent cross of Medaglia d’Oro over a Distorted Humor mare. Her dam, Princess Julia, is a daughter of 2005 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) champion Folklore, who is also the granddam of 2020 Japanese Triple Crown sweeper Contrail. This is also the family of Eclipse Award champions Essential Quality and Forte.

Anchorage S.

The stakes action kicked off with the $275,000 Anchorage S., when Three Diamonds Farm’s Pin Up Betty successfully defended her title as the 2.71-1 favorite. 

Under a well-judged ride by Flavien Prat, the Mike Maker trainee settled off the pace, maneuvered into an inside path to save ground while improving position, and angled out for her stretch rally. Pin Up Betty rolled to a two-length decision, becoming the race’s first two-time winner in its five-year history.

Way to Be Marie and Warming rallied for second and third, respectively, and Unmerited Favor rounded out the superfecta in fourth. Next came Just Basking, pacesetter Stylish Sue, Vive Veuve, Settling Storm, and Footnote. Tirupati was scratched from this spot as well as from her other Saturday option, the Lady Canterbury.

By finishing 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.45, Pin Up Betty advanced her record to 24-5-6-2, $1,212,015. All five of her wins have come over this Matt Winn turf course, notably the 2024 Regret (G3) and last year’s Mint Julep (G3). She has also placed in the past two runnings of the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2), as well as the 2024 Pucker Up (G3) at Ellis Park. The five-year-old was rebounding from a seventh-place finish in her Mint Julep title defense.

The Kentucky-bred Pin Up Betty is by Constitution, also the sire of Saturday’s Bango (G3) winner, Harrodsburg. Pin Up Betty is a half-sister to Grade 3 scorer Governor Sam, who just landed last Sunday’s Get Serious S. at Monmouth Park. Their dam is the multiple stakes-winning and Grade 3-placed Into Mischief mare I’m Betty G.