The afternoon sun at Keeneland didn’t just illuminate the track; it cast a spotlight on a narrative of pure sporting redemption. After crossing the wire first in last fall’s Alcibiades only to see the victory snatched away in the steward’s room, Percy’s Bar left no room for debate this time around.
The daughter of Upstart delivered a professional, rail-skimming performance to secure the $750,000 Grade 1 Central Bank Ashland Stakes. Under a masterful steer from Luan Machado, the Hat Creek Racing standout punched through a narrow seam at the top of the stretch to win by 2 1/4 lengths, definitively stamping her ticket to the Kentucky Oaks.
The early proceedings were dictated by French Friction, who set a tempo best described as glacial. With Cristian Torres pulling hard, the leader coasted through an opening quarter in 24.70 and a half-mile in 50.37.
While the pace slowed, the pressure built for those trapped behind. Percy’s Bar sat coiled along the inside, while the 3-5 heavy favorite, Zany, waited poised in the four-path.
As the field turned for home, French Friction drifted just enough to leave the door ajar. Machado didn’t hesitate, urging Percy’s Bar through a “half-seam” that would have intimidated a lesser horse.
The response was immediate. Percy’s Bar accelerated with a suddenness that left her rivals flat-footed, putting three lengths on the field by mid-stretch and cruising home in a final time of 1:45.72 for the 1 1/16 miles.
Zany, who arrived with a perfect three-for-three record, sustained a long run from the outside but simply couldn’t match the winner’s turn of foot. She held second over a late-running Star Actress, who stayed on gamely to secure a Grade 1 placing in her stakes debut.
For trainer Ben Colebrook, the win provided a cathartic bookend to the disappointment of the previous season. While the sting of the Alcibiades disqualification remains part of the horse’s history, the Ashland trophy now sits firmly in the case.
The victory earned Percy’s Bar 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, bringing her total to 114. As the focus shifts toward the first Friday in May at Churchill Downs, the racing world is now looking at a filly who is at her best when the stakes are highest.
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