Thoroughbred Daily News – 4/3/26
When last seen in Grade I company at Keeneland, Hat Creek Racing’s Percy’s Bar (Upstart) crossed the wire an apparent open-lengths winner of the GI Darley Alcibiades S. last October, only to be demoted from the victory for causing interference and placed second.
The $52,000 Keeneland September bargain was back in Lexington in Friday’s opening-day feature, the GI Central Bank Ashland S., and with a rail-skimming run into the short stretch, Percy’s Bar went on to an authoritative 2 1/4-length defeat of heavily favored Zany (American Pharoah).
French Friction (City of Light), the impressive winner of Oaklawn’s Dixie Belle S. last time to run her record to two-from-two, showed the most early speed on the stretchout and slowed the Ashland field down to a walk, lobbing her rivals along through opening fractions of :24.70 and a pedestrian :50.37.
The three-for-three GII Demoiselle S. winner Zany, back at the tail into the backstretch, improved gradually to be just off the leader three deep entering the far turn. Zany looked ready to put the race to French Friction and was poised three wide at the quarter pole, but beneath Luan Machado, Percy’s Bar was ridden quietly, took the gap inside of French Friction and sprinted home to score convincingly at odds of 5-2.
Zany could do no better than a one-paced second ahead of Star Actress (Justify), the full-sister to champion Just F Y I, in third.
The victory is worth 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.
Last seen finishing third with trouble in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar Oct. 31, Percy’s Bar had been firing nothing but bullets for Ben Colebrook at Keeneland ahead of her sophomore debut.
“I’d still probably rather have the (Darley) Alcibiades (win), too, but this takes the sting out for sure,” Colebrook said. “She deserved it more than anybody else, and my team and everybody else–that’s such a big part of everything that happens. It was a great ride by Luan (Machado) and it all came together. I think she could have had the lead today. I was kind of worried because the pace was so slow and she was kind of bottled up back there, but it looked like he always had horse; it was just whether he was going to get that seam. When he got half a seam she was just gone. That was pretty impressive.”
Pedigree Notes:
Percy’s Bar, bred by the late Brereton C. Jones, becomes the second GISW and seventh GSW for Upstart. This is the third GISW and seventh GSW for broodmare sire Super Saver. The unraced Honestly Deb (Super Saver) is also responsible for the 2-year-old filly Ms Candice (Cairo Prince). Honestly Deb is a half-sister to SWs Simply Spiteful (Speightstown) and Praetereo (Giant’s Causeway); GISP Defense Wins (Flatter); and GSP Dawn’s Charm (Hard Spun).
Friday, Keeneland
CENTRAL BANK ASHLAND S.-GI, $750,000, Keeneland, 4-3, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:45.72, gd.
1–PERCY’S BAR, 121, f, 3, by Upstart
1st Dam: Honestly Deb, by Super Saver
2nd Dam: Deb’s Charm, by Silver Charm
3rd Dam: Ms. Cuvee Napa, by Relaunch
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($52,000 Ylg ’24 KEESEP). O-Hat Creek Racing; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Ben Colebrook; J-Luan Machado. $459,188. Lifetime Record: 6-3-2-1, $1,015,121. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Zany, 121, f, 3, by American Pharoah
1st Dam: Mo’ Green (GSW, $279,420), by Uncle Mo
2nd Dam: She’s a Rebel Too, by Two Punch
3rd Dam: Dixieland Queen, by Dixieland Band
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($350,000 Ylg ’24 FTSAUG). O-Repole Stable; B-D.J. Stable (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $148,125.
3–Star Actress, 121, f, 3, by Justify
1st Dam: Star Act (SP, $147,605), by Street Cry (Ire)
2nd Dam: Starrer, by Dynaformer
3rd Dam: To the Hunt, by Relaunch
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-George Krikorian (KY); T-William I. Mott. $74,063.
Margins: 2 1/4, 3HF, 9 1/4. Odds: 2.56, 0.63, 11.99.
Also Ran: French Friction, Omaha Bay, Hollybygolly. Scratched: Nycon.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
