Griffinite, who ran the distance in 1:22 3/5, was making his first start for the third trainer in his young career. He made six starts last year at two, the first four for Louis Albertrani, the last two for Richard Suttle. He ran third in the grade III Nashua Stakes. The Lafayette was the first start of the year for trainer Jennifer Pedersen.Griffinite paid $35.60, $12.60 and $5.80. Sam Lord's Castle returned $6.20 and $3.40 and Yonaguska was worth $2.60. The exacta paid $223.60.The winner races for Ernie Paragallo's Paraneck Stable, which also raced Unbridled's Song. He was bred in Kentucky by Peter Blum.
If you had watched Griffinite before the Layfayette Stakes (gr. III) Wednesday at Keeneland, you would have thought he had no shot. You would have been wrong.Griffinite acted up terribly for several minutes before the seven-furlong race, refusing to load while wheeling about and trying to buck jockey Jose Santos off.But, when it came to running, the 3-year-old Unbridled's Song colt was determined down the stretch, just beating Sam Lord's Castle in the last jump. Sam Lord's Castle appeared to have the race won after putting away 6-5 favorite Yonaguska, but Griffinite just got up on the outside to post a $35.60 upset.
