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Royal Son dominates Prairie Bayou at Turfway Park; live racing canceled for Saturday, open for simulcast


*Note – With temperatures forecast to drop below zero during racing hours, Turfway Park has canceled live racing for Saturday, Dec. 30. The track will remain open for simulcasting, closing at 6 p.m.

Royal Son and jockey Dean Sarvis are all alone at the wire in the Prairie Bayou Stakes at Turfway Park Dec. 29. Credit: Coady Photography

Royal Son dominated the black type $50,000 Prairie Bayou Stakes at Turfway Park Friday, taking the lead at the top of the final turn and widening his advantage at will to win by 7-1/4 lengths. Dac, who won this race in both 2015 and 2016, was second, with Zulu Alpha another 4-1/2 lengths back in third.

With jockey Dean Sarvis aboard, Royal Son finished the 1-1/16 mile Prairie Bayou in 1:44.04.

Royal Son sat comfortably in third outside Fast and Accurate, who broke first from the rail and led the way to the top of the final turn. After marking the first three quarters in :25.17, :48.80 and 1:12.85, Fast and Accurate ceded the lead as Royal Son swept by.

Late scratches took the field down to six, a fact that worked in Royal Son’s favor. The 5-year-old gelded son of Tiznow had drawn post 10 when entries were taken last Saturday but broke from the five hole.

“The scratches helped bring us closer to the rail, but I was pretty confident in how he would run anyway,” said winning trainer Kellyn Gorder. “He just loves this track. He looked so relaxed, and I was really happy to see that. He finished strong. The drive home [in the cold] is a lot shorter when you win.”

Fast and Accurate was fourth, followed by Zambian Dream (CHI) and Glenville Gardens. Rated R Superstar, Operation Stevie, Lanier, Vettori Kin (BRZ), Bold Rally and Yolo Mon were scratched by their trainers. Krewe Chief and Hinton did not draw in from the also-eligible list and also were scratched.

Favored at 4-5, Royal Son returned $3.60, $2.80 and $2.40.

The record books prove Royal Son’s affinity for the Turfway surface. On Nov. 30 he set the track record for a mile over Polytrack, 1:34.92, and in 2015 he won the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes in his first start at Turfway.

Royal Son is out of the A. P. Indy mare Mama Nadine. He was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm LLC and is owned by Ali Goodrich’s Sweet Home Stables and Mark Parkinson. Royal Son now has six wins, four seconds and two thirds from 22 starts and purse earnings of $321,605.

 


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