Concord Point, ridden by Martin Garcia, shattered the track record for 1 1/16 miles at Prairie Meadows when he romped to an 8 1/2-length victory in the $250,000 Iowa Derby (gr. III) (VIDEO) June 26.
Trained by Bob Baffert for owner Kaleem Shah, Concord Point dominated five rival 3-year-olds in the second of three graded stakes at the Iowa Festival of Racing. He clocked a winning time of 1:40.37 over a lightening fast track. In registering his first graded stakes triumph, he easily bettered the former track mark of 1:40.82 established by Excessivepleasure on July 5, 2003.
Second choice Concord Point, a gray son of Tapit --Harve de Grace, by Boston Harbor, swept past pacesetter Forestry Type on the final turn and steadily drew clear down the lane to post a comfortable win over Thiskyhasnolimit, who finished three-quarters of length ahead of 3-2 favorite Winslow Homer. The highly-regarded Winslow Homer was making his first start since winning the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park Jan. 23.
Concord Point was coming off a second-place finish in his stakes debut in the seven-furlong Laz Barrera Memorial Stakes (gr. III) at Hollywood Park May 22. He had not tried two two turns in four prior starts.
"I've been riding this horse a lot and he looked like he needed a distance," Garcia said after the win. "He's such a nice horse, so professional. I knew when we broke that we could win this race."
Forestry Type led by two lengths while rattling off :23.26 and :45.76 opening splits. Concord Point led after six furlongs in 1:09.77 and he kept it going while lightly urged through the lane.
Down With Dixie finished fourth, followed by Vow to Wager and Forestry Type.
Concord Point carried 116 pounds, six fewer than the co-high weights Winslow Homer and Vow to Wager.
A $220,000 Keeneland September yearling buy in 2008, Concord Point has now won three of five starts while earning $226,760 with the Iowa Derby's winning purse of $150,000. Lee McMillin and Ed Rudley bred the winner in Kentucky.
Concord Point paid $6.80, $3.60 and $2.80, topping a $26.40 exacta. Thiskyhasnolimit, winner of the Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs in his last start for Steve Asmussen, returned $4 and $2.80 with Shaun Bridgmohan aboard. Winslow Homer, ridden by Ramon Dominguez, was $2.60 to show.
Concord Point streaks to a new track record in the Iowa Derby.
