A 3-year-old son of Sir Cat, Inca King covered the 1 1/16-miles in 1:43.14 and won for the fifth time in seven lifetime starts on the grass, all this year. Equitable was second, three lengths in front of Slew’s Tizzy.
Ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, Inca King sat second throughout the backstretch, staying just in back of Voy Por Uno Mas, who set fractions of :24.50, :48.67 and 1:13.05. Slew’s Tizzy was also close to the lead.
As they rounded the final turn Inca King went four-wide and sprinted to the front. Equitable charged on from the back, but under urging from Bridgmohan, Inca King was clearly the best.
“When I asked him to kick on home, he was there every step,” Bridgmohan said. “The last couple of times he has run, he has shown what he is capable of. He is not a very big horse, but there is a lot of substance. He is a very powerful little horse.”
Bred in Kentucky by Dr. Ben Roach and Parrish Hill Farm, Inca King began his career on the dirt but was moved to the turf this year. Out of the Prized mare Inca Prize, he broke his maiden at Gulfstream Park in March and has been on a roll ever since. A winner of the June 16 Jefferson Cup (gr. IIT) at Churchill, the gelding’s most recent effort was a 3 ¾-length victory in the Bryan Station Oct. 14 at Keeneland.
Going off at odds of 3-1, Inca King paid $8.40 to win. The exacta (8-1) with Equitable was worth $28.20.
Originally a $8,500 purcahse at the Keeneland 2005 yearling sale, Heiligbrodt Racing Stables bought Inca King privately in May from Linda Roach and her son, Fletcher Mauk.
Betting favorite Distorted Reality was never a factor and finished fifth in the seven-horse field.
(Chart, Equibase)
