Wilkinson Rallies to Defeat Elders in Off-the-Turf Feature at Churchill Downs

May 14, 2011

Gaillardia Racing’s Wilkinson, the only 3-year-old in a field of four, surged past Flying Pegasus and Moe Man inside the sixteenth pole to win Tuesday’s $50,825 featured allowance race by 1 ½ lengths at Churchill Downs.

Ridden by Jamie Theriot and trained by Neil Howard, Wilkinson was coming off a 10^th-place finish in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) in his most recent start at Keeneland on April 16. The race was taken off the Matt Winn Turf Course and run on a sloppy main track, which was covered in 1:45.83 by Wilkinson.

Wilkinson, a homebred son of Lemon Drop Kid, improved his record to 8-3-2-1 for earnings of $149,733 with Tuesday’s winner’s check of $32,100.

Sent off as the favorite, Wilkinson returned $4.40 and $2.80 with no show wagering. Moe Man, ridden by Calvin Borel, returned $3 to place and was followed in order by Flying Pegasus and They Call Me Giant.

 

            Racing continues Wednesday with a 10-race program that begins at 12:45 p.m. (ET).