Mr. Nightlinger took command soon after the start and led all the way Sunday to win the $125,000, Grade 3 Shakertown Stakes on the turf at Keeneland.
Smart Enough, the even-money favorite, rallied along the inside at the top of the stretch but his bid fell short and he had to settle for second, 1 ¾ lengths behind the winner.
Fort Prado, who had won the Woodford Stakes last fall at the same 5 ½ furlongs on the turf, was another 2 ¼ lengths back in third. The Nth Degree, seeking a second consecutive win in the Shakertown, finished 10th in the 11-horse field.
Mr. Nightlinger is owned by Martin Racing Stable and Carl R. Moore Management. The four-year-old son of Indian Charlie gave trainer Bret Calhoun his first stakes victory at Keeneland.
“He’s an up-close pace kind of horse,” said winning jockey Jamie Theriot. “That was our strategy to let him run to the front. The fractions were kind of quick, but that was okay. When they (Midwatch) came up on him on the outside, he was determined not to let him get by.”
The time was 1:03.84 on the “good” turf course.
The winner paid $45.80, $15.60 and $7.60 as a 21-1 outsider. Smart Enough returned $3.20 and $2.20 and Fort Prado paid $3.60 to show.
Mr. Nightlinger won for the fifth time in 14 career starts and increased his lifetime earnings to $243,496.