Elusive Riley(KY) cashes in at Roan Around Savage Stakes

Elusive Riley(KY) showed why he was the race favorite, capturing a win in this week’s Roan Around Savage Stakes by three and a quarter lengths. This is the second straight victory for the four year old colt, and his first stakes win of the year. This is is fourth win in five tries at twelve furlongs and beyond, and it also gives him six wins in his last ten starts. The paycheck takes his career earnings to the $217982 mark in his twenty two starts. The stakes win also moved him up the ladder in a very competitive Older Long Turf division, gaining him twenty four spots to a new ranking of 75 among older horses, with a lot of racing still in front of him. Bettors were using their tickets to wipe their tears this week, as the oddsmakers nailed this one. Payouts would have to take a step up to reach mediocre, with the winner paying $5.60 $3.00 $2.10 across the board. The exotics were simply dismal, with the exacta paying $7.30 and the trifecta seeing only a $21.70 payout.

Lemon Lily Affair got the early jump on the field, breaking hard from the gate, shadowed early by Pedro Extremist. He managed to shake off the early threat, and build a two length cushion as they approached the half. But even the most optimistic of race fans could see that wasn’t going to be enough in a field like this one, and as they crossed the halfway mark, the cushion rapidly began to dwindle as the race favorites began to drive. Lemon Lily Affair hung on gamely to the three quarters poll, where he ran out of gas and began to fade. The battle of the favorites was decided early in the stretch, with Elusive Riley(KY) having the extra jump, breaking the stalemate between the favorites had as they ran into the second half and headed for home. Lame Duck(GB) kept on pushing, but Elusive Riley(KY) was having none of it, running away to a three and a quarter length victory at the wire, with Lame Duck(GB) coming second. Lemon Lily Affair was the best of the rest, holding on to the third place honors, nine lengths out at the wire.