Red Smith

Gary Tanaka's KING'S DRAMA (Ire) (King's Theatre [Ire]) lived up to his

advance billing while comfortably landing the $150,000

Red Smith H. (G2) at

Aqueduct on Saturday. Always traveling smoothly under top weight of 122 pounds,

the Bobby Frankel-trained gelding was not unduly pushed to score by 2 1/2

lengths over a fast-finishing Rousing Victory (Victory Gallop). The final time was

2:15 1/5 for the 1 3/8-mile affair on firm turf. Sent off as the 3-5 favorite,

the winner returned $3.20, $2.40, and $2.10. 

King's Drama sprang alertly from the gate and led for a few strides until

Certifiably Crazy (Fit to Fight) made a move to take charge of the field. King's

Drama then settled amicably at the rail for jockey Edgar Prado, giving the

impression that he was ready to explode the moment he was given his head.

Certifiably Crazy set a sedate pace of :49 3/5 for the half before Prado seized

the opportunity to let King's Drama go on, and the favorite cruised into the

lead, getting splits of 1:14 3/5 for six furlongs and 1:39 2/5 for the mile.

Near the top of the lane, Dreadnaught (Lac Ouimet) laid down his challenge and

appeared poised to give the leader a real battle, but Prado had only to shake

the reins, show King's Drama the whip, give a couple of taps, and the race was

over.

The winning rider was suitably impressed.

"It worked out beautifully," Prado remarked. "This was a free Grade 2. A nice

paid workout. I kept after him because he was looking around, looking at the

board. I don't think anyone was beating him today."

Frankel's next objective for the turf marathoner is the Japan Cup (Jpn-G1) at

Tokyo on November 27, and Prado is committed to making the trip.

Rousing Victory closed energetically to grab second without troubling the

winner, returning $5.30 and $3 to his supporters and completing the $20.60

exacta. Dreadnaught hung on for third and paid $3.10 while rounding out a $75.50 trifecta. Certifiably Crazy faded to fourth, setting up a $191.50

superfecta (3-9-1-8). The remaining finishers were Request for Parole (Judge T C),

Rochester (Green Dancer), Potro Tell (Arg) (Potrillon [Arg]), and Navesink River

(Unbridled). Affirmative Action (Ire) (Rainbow Quest) was scratched, along with

main-track-only entries Evening Attire (Black Tie Affair [Ire]) and Kennel Up (Joyeux

Danseur).

In racking up his second Grade 1 victory, King's Drama rebounded from an

eighth-place effort last out in the Canadian International S. (Can-G1) at

Woodbine. He had previously captured the Sword Dancer Invitational S. (G1) and

was twice placed in the Man o' War S. (G1).

Bred by Kilfrush Stud Ltd in Ireland, King's Drama is out of the mare Last

Drama (Last Tycoon [Ire]), making him a half-brother to Self Feeder (Ire) (Lycius),

winner of the 1999 Steinlen H. at Hollywood Park and second in the 2000 Charles

Whittingham H. (G1). His record now stands at 25-8-6-5,

with total earnings of $869,966.