FLORENCE, Ky. (AP) -Hold Me Back roared to the lead in the stretch and won the $500,000 Lane's End Stakes on Saturday at Turfway Park.
Co-favorites Bittel Road and West Side Bernie did not hit the board in a race that has produced numerous Kentucky Derby contenders. But this one didn't appear to boost any into the top echelon of Derby prospects, and may have left a few on a lesser route.
Officials of WinStar Farm seemed well satisfied with their horse's modest final time of 1:49.63 on Polytrack.
``He's three for three on synthetics, so that's why we thought of this race to bring him back,'' said Elliott Walden, vice president of WinStar.
Hold Me Back had won his first two races, a maiden race at Arlington Park and an allowance race at Keeneland last fall, but had not competed since a fifth-place finish in the Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct in November.
``He was all legs and bones. I think he's probably put on 150 pounds since then,'' Walden said. ``He's a bigger horse and running with a purpose now.''
Trainer Bill Mott said the long layoff didn't mean there was anything wrong with Hold Me Back, just that he needed time to mature. He said the plan all along had been to point Hold Me Back toward the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.
``That's where we're heading, right now,'' Mott said by phone from Florida. ``Naturally, you've got to think about the Derby. We'll play that by ear.''
The WinStar folks seemed more sure.
``The Derby is definitely our plan, but we'll let the horse and Bill tell us if that is the right place,'' Walden said. ``We'll let Bill make the call, but I would think we'd probably go straight into the Derby - but the Blue Grass is also a nice race to win.''
Orthodox went right to the lead and set the pace for the first mile of the 1 1-8 mile Lane's End, until Parade Clown and Proceed Bee pulled alongside at the top of the turn for home. Hold Me Back had been last out of the gate and remained well back until Desormeaux pulled Hold Me Back wide on he turn, and he surged past the leaders in mid-stretch and won going away.
``I thought I was hopelessly beaten the second the doors opened,'' Desormeaux said. ``He just stood there. After a fearful start, he carried me around the racetrack in great fashion.''
Hold Me Back crossed the line 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Flying Private. Proceed Bee was another four lengths back.
Hold Me Back paid $20.20, $9.40 and $7.40. Flying Private returned $22.60 and $11.20 to place. Proceed Bee was worth $9.60 to show.
With both favorites out of the money, the exacta paid $586.80.
West Side Bernie, trained by Kelly Breen, won the Kentucky Cup Juvenile last fall at Turfway but tired in the stretch and finished sixth.
``It seemed like we tried to push him a little bit early and the jockey (Edgar Prado) said he sort of resented it,'' Breen said.
Bittel Road, trained by Todd Pletcher, was the leading money winner going into the race, but most of that was won on turf. He was never a factor and finished 10th.
A.P. Cardinal, co-owned by Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino, finished eighth in the 12-horse field. Pacesetter Orthodox faded to 11th.
Cliffy's Future, trained by Darrin Miller and ridden by Jesus Castanon, won the Rushaway Stakes that preceded the Lane's End, finishing 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Ziegfield in 1:44.38 for the 1 1-16 miles.
