Watch the stretch run

 

Parading turned a highly competitive Ben Ali Stakes (G1) into a one-horse race Sunday at Keeneland, drawing away to a 7 ½-length victory in the 1 1/8-mile, $150,000 event for 4-year-olds and upward.

 

The 6-year-old son of Pulpit broke away from a three-horse battle for the lead midway down the backstretch, brought a substantial advantage into the stretch and then just drew away for his sixth career win.

 

Kent Desormeaux rode Parading, who ran the distance on a wet but “fast” Polytrack surface in 1:47.82.  The third choice in the betting, he paid $12.40 and earned $93,000 for the Phipps Stable.

 

 “He’s a pleasure to ride,” said Desormeaux.  “He sits in the bridle and rides right off my fingertips, so he’s well trained.  I just get to sit on him.  I’m the lucky one.”

 

The Ben Ali brought together four major winners on Polytrack--the 2007 and 2008 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) victors, Dominican and Monba, last year’s winner Sterwins and 2008 Lane’s End Stakes (G2) victor Adriano.

 

Your Round, a 43-1 outsider, finished second, a half-length in front of third-place Monba, the 7-5 favorite under Garrett Gomez.  It was a head back to Dominican in the seven-horse field.

 

Parading, who had made 11 of his 15 previous starts on the turf, proved best of all while increasing his lifetime earnings to $315,046.  The dominant win also will send trainer Shug McGaughey in search of another race on Polytrack.

 

 “He ran a great race on the turf (at Keeneland on April 4) and he came out of that race well and trained well,” said McGaughey.  “So I thought I would try him on the Polytrack.  Now he’s won on both turf and Polytrack, so that will help him in his career.”

 

Leading jockey Julien Leparoux won four races Sunday, increasing his total for the meeting to 24.  Leparoux took the second race on Oh So Nice ($5.60), the sixth on Life Lesson ($6.40), the seventh on Baletti ($9.60) and the ninth on Cross Village ($23.40).