Point of Entry closed down the leader like a tiger to win the Elkhorn Stakes
The 4-year-old Phipps Stable owned colt, Point of Entry, has been hitting the winning note since last fall, and he continues his winning form this year as well, as he ran the biggest race of career against graded stakes company for the first time to win
the Grade 2, $150,000 Elkhorn Stakes on the closing day at Keeneland on 27 April, 2012.
Trained by Claude R. McGaughey III, Point of Entry with jockey John Velazquez, who has been the runner’s regular rider for the past seven starts, settled the colt just behind the pace after the son of Dynaformer was sent at the odds of 5 to 1.
The favourite of the race, Newsdad, was sent as the 11 to 10 shot, and he briskly broke from the gate along with jockey Julien Leparoux , and covered the first quarter mile in 25.18 seconds, half mile in 50.29 seconds and six furlongs in 1 minute and 16.14
seconds.
Roger Attfield trained, Simmard showed good pace behind the pace setter under jockey Javier Castellano, and he was just ahead of Newsdad, rounding off the third and final bend, while he ran the mile off in 1 minute and 40.80 seconds.
Simmard entered the stretch as the leader of the pack, but he didn’t count on Point of Entry, who was all revved up to make his final move in the stretch.
Four wide, he roared past the leader and at eighth pole, Point of Entry showed he had a lot left in him for the final furlong.
"At the half-mile pole he was right behind the other two horses and I was very confident from then on," said Velazquez following his third consecutive win in the Elkhorn. "I was just hoping that I'd get a clear run down the lane.
McGaughey, ran Point of Entry twice in two weeks over distances of 1 ½ miles.
"I was a little worried about running him back too soon," McGaughey. "But he had a nice breeze the other day. And as you saw, Johnny rode a perfect race. So it couldn't have been any better."
The 15 to 1 choice, Tahoe Lake snatched the second place from Simmard, who finished third on the day after a good run under Javier Castellano.
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