He did good.
Breaking sharp under jockey Cornelio Velasquez, Kip Deville got away with a 24.36 opening quarter mile and a 47.32 half, then kicked clear to win the one-mile Widener Turf Course event by 2 ¼ lengths in 1:32.94.
“`Kip’ likes to set off; that’s his game,” said trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. “He found himself on the lead, and then Cornelio was able to keep him right in striking distance. His next race will be in Canada and it looks like what we have to do is keep him where he is at.”
Last year, Kip Deville lost the Woodbine Mile by a length to Shakespeare, but came back to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Monmouth Park. In his only other start this year, he won the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark at Keeneland for the second straight year.
“He’s a super racehorse,” said Mike Iavarone of IEAH Stable. “We’ve been running all over the place with him, and we’re happy to get him to New York. He loves this turf. Just look at his last quarter. He’s got a great mind; a great everything.”
Velasquez rode an intelligent race, and was able to keep Kip Deville from doing too much too soon.
“He broke sharp today, but I was able to settle him down,” Velasquez said. “And he got the last quarter in 22 and change. This should set him up for the big race in Canada.”
A 5-year-old son of Kipling, Kip Deville returned $2.80 as the heavy favorite.
Tam Lin (GB) was second, and it was two lengths back to Operation Red Dawn, who was followed by Sensational Humor and Steppenwolfer.
POKER QUOTES
Winning trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. of favored Kip Deville (No. 5): “`Kip’ likes to set off; that’s his game. He found himself on the lead, and then Cornelio was able to keep him right in striking distance. His next race will be in Canada (Woodbine Mile; September 7) and it looks like what we have to do is keep him where he is at.”
Winning owner Mike Iavarone of IEAH Stable: “He’s a super racehorse. We’ve been running all over the place with him, and we’re happy to get him to New York. He loves this turf. Just look at his last quarter. He’s got a great mind; a great everything.
Winning jockey Cornelio Velasquez; “He broke sharp today, but I was able to settle him down. And he got the last quarter in 22 and change. This should set him up for the big race in Canada.”