Sunday, May 11, 2025
It was a huge day for Highgate Sales graduates on Saturday with two earning their first stakes successes.
Sold at Keeneland November as a weanling by Highgate in 2022, KENTUCKY OUTLAW has been a star on the track. The 3-year-old won his first two starts by a combined 13 ½ lengths before a misstep in his third start.
KENTUCKY OUTLAW’s connections continued to have faith in him even after that bobble and headed to Monmouth Park for his second stakes attempt in the Long Branch Stakes. The bettors showed they had the same faith, sending him off as the favorite in the one-mile affair and he quickly showed why.
KENTUCKY OUTLAW had some trouble early on with jockey Paco Lopez trying to settle him as he pulled down the backstretch. That coaxing was over when the jockey let him go to the front around the turn. Soon after, he was asked for more and the colt responded, building a margin then holding it close to the line.
Racing for owner-trainer Felissa Dunn, the Daniel Thomas Kjorsvik-bred colt is now the earner of $124,500 with three wins in four starts.
While KENTUCKY OUTLAW is an established runner, one of Highgate’s 2024 Fasig-Tipton October graduates made a big impression in his debut with a victory in the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes.
Running for a guarantee entry to a Royal Ascot juvenile race, SANDAL’S SONG was ready to run here after registering multiple impressive works. The five-furlong turf race saw him have to overcome breaking a step slow, but he quickly bounced back to race just off the leaders.
Sent outside those runners around the turn, he made his own bid for the lead at the top of the stretch and briefly dueled with another runner before that one gave in. Only one runner was within seven lengths of SANDAL’S SONG at the line with the colt winning by 1 ½ lengths.
Trained by George Weaver for Dew Sweepers, the juvenile was purchased by his racing owner for $75,000 from Highgate at last fall’s Fasig-Tipton October sale.
The colts were joined by 2023 Keeneland September graduate ALEXANDRA ELAINE as Highgate graduates to earn blacktype this weekend when that filly finished third in the Goldfinch S. to round out the day.
Twelve Highgate Sales graduates have gone on to win stakes with the group including Canada’s Champion 2-Year-Old Male He’s Not Joking.
