Wilburn 2 of 2 in as many starts after winning the Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx Racing
The 3-year-old son of Bernardini, Wilburn, ran at a level on 5 September, 2011, he never ran before and managed to land his first stakes win in the shape of $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx Racing for 3-year-olds.
Trained by Steven Asmussen for Stonestreet Stables, Wilburn broke his maiden this year on 5 March, 2011, at Santa Anita under jockey Mike Smith.
The colt took on other juvenile runners trying to do the same over a distance of 6 ½ furlongs, but Wilburn defeated them to it and was ready to go further for Steven Asmussen.
However, Asmussen without giving the colt time to grow into his new career, and mostly banked on his outstanding maiden special weight win, he sent Wilburn to try two turns at Santa Anita.
It was a first level optional $80,000 claimer going a mile. It raised some eyebrows, but on 3 April, 2011, Steven Asmussen went ahead with his decision and Wilburg couldn’t withstand the distance and fell well short at fifth under jockey Mike Smith.
From then on in, it was three 1 1/16 mile events for the bay colt and he won the first one at Churchill Downs, but then in the Grade 3 Matt Winn, Wilburn fell away yet again to finish fourth at Churchill Downs on 18 June, 2011.
Wilburn recently ran another optional claimer over at 1 mile and 70 yards, approximately 8.3 furlongs, and came out victorious on the Monmouth Park dirt track on 7 August, 2011.
It was encouraging enough for the veteran conditioner to try him at Parx Racing over at a similar distance in the Smarty Jones Stakes.
Steven Asmussen knew that Wilburn would relish the distance yet again, but he also got entered because the Smarty Jones Stakes is the prep race for the Grade 2 $1million Pennsylvania Derby on 24 September.
Jockey Corey Nakatani guided Wilburn four wide into the first turn and he went wide throughout the one mile and 70 yards, only to launch his bid on the final turn and shell shocked his opponents to take a narrow lead at the quarter pole.
After gaining the lead, Wilburn continued to sail through and through until he hit the wire 1 ¾ lengths in front of Redeemed.
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