Vineyard Haven wakes up late to take De Francis Dash

Vineyard Haven eventually asserted his class (Maryland Jockey Club/Jim McCue) Godolphin Racing's VINEYARD HAVEN (Lido Palace [Chi]) did not seem to be traveling well in Saturday's $300,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G1) at Laurel, thus forcing jockey Alan Garcia to vigorously rouse the 4-5 favorite around the far turn. The sophomore still looked like a beaten horse through much of the stretch, but finally kicked into high gear in the final sixteenth with a powerful rally up the inside to take the six-furlong contest by a length in a time of 1:09 3/5 over the sloppy going. He returned $3.60, $2.40 and $2.20. Not nearly as quick leaving the stalls as he was in his prior start, the August 29 King's Bishop S. (G1), Vineyard Haven found himself getting slop kicked back in his face when buried down the inside in fifth through an opening quarter in :21 4/5. The leader at that stage was the 7-1 Fleet Valid (Montbrook), who only had a head up on Roaring Lion (Lion Hearted), a half-length on Sacred Journey (Unbridled's Song) and a length on 5-1 second choice Ravalo (Mutakddim). The rousing of Vineyard Haven started around the far turn as the favorite lost position, finding himself in sixth, nearly four lengths off Fleet Valid, after a half-mile was covered in :44 3/5.

Of the initial top four, only Roaring Lion failed to go on as the field came

through the homestretch. A furlong out, Fleet Valid and Sacred Journey were

still heads apart as Ravalo tried to make a race of it on the outside while

Vineyard Haven still trying to find some preferred footing inside those three.

The favorite finally did with a sixteenth to go, showing push-button

acceleration to win going away.

"During the first part of the race I wasn't sure we were going to get be able

to get there but when the rail opened my horse just started running for the

hole," Garcia said.

"It is very difficult for a three-year-old to compete against a solid field

of older sprinters as he did today," said Rick Mettee, assistant to trainer

Saeed bin Suroor. "Going three-quarters instead of seven-eighths makes it an

entirely different race. These horses run hard every step. Most have a good

amount of speed themselves and they don't stop until the wire."

Ravalo, who was carried out in midstretch by a tiring Sacred Journey, could

not match the winner's burst and settled for second. He returned $4.40 and $3

and completed the $16.80 exacta. A half-length further back was Fleet Valid, who

paid $3.40 and capped the $60.20 trifecta. The superfecta with Sacred Journey

returned $368.40. Next under the line were Ah Day (Malibu Moon), Peace Chant

(War Chant), Roaring Lion and True Quality (Elusive Quality). Saratoga Russell

(Trippi) was withdrawn.

Vineyard Haven was bred in Florida by original owner/trainer Lynn Scace, who

campaigned the colt to his debut win at Calder in June of last year. He was

privately bought after that win for a partnership headed by Hall of Fame trainer

Bobby Frankel, who conditioned the gray to a third in the Sanford S. (G2) and

scores in the Hopeful S. (G1) and Champagne S. (G1) by margins of 2 1/4 lengths

and 5 3/4 lengths, respectively. Frankel and company subsequently sold Vineyard

Haven to Godolphin, who sent the colt to Dubai to prepare for the Kentucky Derby

(G1), but he made only one start over there when a distant fourth in the U.A.E.

Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-G3). He was sidelined until the King's Bishop, where

he led throughout and crossed the wire a head in front of Capt. Candyman Can

(Candy Ride [Arg]), but was demoted to second after interfering with the

runner-up in the stretch. With this third top-level score, Vineyard Haven has

now bankrolled $671,500 from a line of 7-4-1-1.

Vineyard Haven was produced by Princess Aloha (Aloha Prospector), making him a

half-brother to the multiple stakes winner On the Vineyard (Lite the Fuse).