11 Abr. USA. Maker's Mark Mile S. G1. Keeneland. 8f. Turf. 300.000 $
1.- KIP DEVILLE (C.Velasquez)
2.- EINSTEIN (R.Albarado)
3.- THORN SONG (R.Bejarano)


Kip Deville won the $300,000 Maker’s Mark Mile for the second straight year, returning from a long layoff to beat Einstein by a length Friday.

The 5-year-old horse, racing for the first time since winning the Breeders’ Cup Mile last Oct. 27 at New Jersey’s Monmouth Park, is now 3-for-3 over Keeneland’s turf course.

The 2-1 favorite was quick out of the gate, and jockey Cornelio Velasquez had Kip Deville fourth with a half-mile to go. Kip Deville moved into the lead with 3-16ths of a mile to go, and a fast-charging Einstein closed for second over Thorn Song.

It was Kip Deville’s 10th win in 22 lifetime starts. Trainer Rick Dutrow said he was specifically eyeing this track—and this race.

“We gave him a couple months off, just walking, kept him in the barn,” Dutrow said. “But when we put the tack back on, every day has been a good day for Kip Deville.”

And, recently, just about every day has been good for Dutrow.

He has one of the top contenders for the Kentucky Derby in Big Brown, who won the Florida Derby last month. The win came a few hours after two lucrative victories in Dubai—the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen with Benny the Bull and the $1 million Godolphin Mile with Diamond Stripes.

Dutrow also had a big year in 2005, taking the Breeders’ Cup Classic with eventual Horse of the Year Saint Liam and the BC Sprint with Silver Train.

“The good ones are showing up the right way,” Dutrow said. “You can’t believe how much fun we’re having.”

Kip Deville paid $6.20, $4.20 and $3.20. Einstein paid $7 and $5. Thorn Song, a 33-1 long shot, was $11.20 to show.

Robby Albarado, Einstein’s rider, said he provided a good run but came up short.

“A mile is not really his best distance,” Albarado said. “He’s more of a 1 1-16-mile horse. He’s such a big horse, he’s hard to get going. I thought it was a big effort.”

Thorn Song’s jockey, Rafael Bejarano, said his horse might have gotten second if not for the overnight storm that lingered into the start of the racing day. Post position also worked against him, as Thorn Song started from outside in the 10-horse field while Kip Deville had the rail.

“The ground is a little soft and he just got tired,” Bejarano said. “If we had had a better post, I wouldn’t have had to use him so much so early, and we probably would have been second.”

As for Kip Deville’s next race, another long layoff could be in the works. Dutrow said he’s thinking about not running him again until the Woodbine Mile in September, then head to defend his title in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

“I just don’t want to grind him up over the summer,” Dutrow said.