Island Bound picked up the first added-money victory of her career when she came from off the pace to take the $110,100 Winning Colors Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill Downs June 2 (VIDEO). The race was the first of three graded events on an evening card at the Kentucky track.
Sent off at odds of 9-1, Island Bound ran next to last early in the field of eight fillies and mares. Honey Chile led after completing the first quarter mile in :21.61. Then favored Good Deed took control and was ahead by a half-length after a half-mile in :45.05.
But the front-runners couldn’t hold off Island Bound, who rallied six wide and was a head in front of Good Deed at the stretch call. With Leandro Goncalves in the irons, Island Bound edged away from her rivals and was 1 ¼ lengths in front at the wire. The 5-year-old daughter of Speightstown covered six furlongs in 1:09.86 over a track that was rated “fast.”
Beat the Blues came running late between horses to finish second. She was 1 ¾ lengths in front of Speedacious. Gleaming was another length back in fourth while the faltering Good Deed faded to fifth. She was followed by Fortune Play, Honey Chile, and Page Springs.
Owned by Robert Manfuso and trained by Ian Wilkes, Island Bound paid $21.40, $6.40, and $4.40 to her backers. Beat the Blues returned $3.60 and $2.80 while rounding out an $87.80 exacta. Speedacious paid $3.20.
"Everything worked out how Ian and I planned before the race," Goncalves said. "There was a lot of speed in the race, so I just rated about four or five (lengths) off the pace. We started to pick it up at the three-eighths (pole) and then, when I really asked her, she finished strong. I had everything my way."
Island Bound has won five of her 20 career races and earned $213,238. The dark bay or brown mare started 2012 racing at Tampa Bay Downs. While there, she captured a seven-furlong allowance race by six lengths; finished second, beaten only a neck by Taylors Irish, in the Manatee Stakes; and won a seven-furlong allowance/optional claiming event by two lengths.
In March, Island Bound finished second, only a half length behind Winning Image, in the Langhorne Stakes at Parx Racing. In her last outing prior to the Winning Colors, Island Bound was second in the April 14 Sugar Maple Stakes at the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races. Magical Feeling defeated her by 1 ¼ lengths.
Island Bound "has really improved over the year," said Wilkes after the Winning Colors. "Her last race was very good and she has been training well since then. I'm very happy for Bob Manfuso. He's a tremendous guy and I'm so happy he was able to get this graded stakes win."
Bred in Kentucky by Nursery Place, Island Bound is out of the A.P. Indy mare Indy Mood for Luv. Nursery Place, agent, consigned her to the 2007 Keeneland November breeding stock sale as a weanling and to the 2008 Keeneland September yearling sale. Island Bound was a $90,000 buy-back at the November auction and a $95,000 buy-back at the September auction.
Island Bound didn’t race as a 2-year-old. When she started her competitive career in February 2010, she carried Manfuso’s colors and was trained by Wilkes.
