Adriano wins Lane's End at Turfway

Adriano's owner, Houston banker Donald Adam, had just won the $500,000 Grade II Lane's End Stakes Saturday when his thoughts turned from this colt with the giant stride to a possible visit from the foaling stork.

Adam was considering asking his pilot to stop in Lexington on their way home so he could visit his well-known mare, Film Maker, at Lane's End in Woodford County. She's expecting her first foal, one sired by Storm Cat.

Nothing would have beat winning the Lane's End Stakes, Adam hinted, unless it would have been the unusual double of Film Maker foaling before he returned to Houston.

But winning the race was special in itself, he said, "because they're friends of mine and... we have such a close relationship (with Will Farish and his son, Bill Farish)."

Adam got into horse racing in the mid-1990s after Will Farish, owner of Lane's End, invited him to the races at Saratoga. Adams was CEO of First America Bank until Citicorp acquired it in 2005. He had always liked horses; the respite that racing offered has proved fruitful since the day Farish took him to the races as his guest.

He had not had such a huge win with a colt until Saturday, however, when Adriano moved up from second behind Rich Young Ruler on the far turn, then forged ahead in the stretch to leave Halo Najib, the favorite, a well-beaten second followed by Medjool and Racecar Rhapsody in third and fourth in the field of 11.

Adriano paid a win mutuel of $11.60, finishing the 11/8 miles in 1:50.20.

Adriano looked awe- inspiring while stretched out in full stride, crossing the finish with jockey Edgar Prado sitting low and steady. But the natural question -- whether the son of A. P. Indy might be headed to the Kentucky Derby -- remained more of a question than a conclusion.

His trainer, Graham Motion, had said earlier in the week that Adriano might be a better turf horse. He stuck to that opinion Saturday after the race, although he has left the door open. He said the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland (a Derby prep) "is something we will definitely consider."

Adriano had disappointed hugely in his only other race at 11/8 miles, the Fountain of Youth Stakes Feb. 24 at Gulfstream Park. But that race was on dirt; the Lane's End was on Polytrack, a surface that turf horses favor.

As for the Kentucky Derby's 11/4 miles on dirt, Adam said, "We'd have to think long and hard whether that would make sense because the worst thing in the world (that could happen) if we were to do that and he were to do poorly. It might set him back."

Prior to falling apart at the Fountain of Youth, Adriano had been an impressive winner of an allowance race on turf at Gulfstream. His other winning race had been his maiden victory -- on turf -- at Saratoga last summer.

As for the Lane's End, Motion said that "the horse showed that on his day he can be brilliant."

He added, "We had to stay a little bit closer (to the pace than usual) because you didn't want to come from off the pace today. Turning for home I gave him a huge chance. I knew a mile and an eighth was well within his reach."

Prado tucked Adriano into third behind Rich Young Ruler and Duke of de Buqe down the backstretch. Rich Young Ruler held the lead until Adriano took it from him on the far turn. Duke of de Buqe had dropped back to last by that point. The contenders on the far turn were Cannonball, Chitoz, Medjool, and Halo Najib but Adriano had taken control by the time they turned into the stretch.

The favorite, Halo Najib, came into the Lane's End after finishing sixth (and thus ahead of Adriano) in the Fountain of Youth. Trainer Dale Romans said that he got bounced around by horses on both sides but still responded when jockey Kent Desormeaux asked. "He just didn't get there," Romans said, adding that he wasn't sure where Halo Najib will race next.

The highlight of the supporting card was the $100,000 Rushaway Stakes, won by Big Glen by only a neck over Miner's Claim (the favorite), followed by Icabad Crane.

"He got the trip and that's what made the difference," said winning trainer Frank Brothers. "He saved the ground. This horse is a hard tryer." The trainer who lost in the close finish, Mark Casse, said, "He (Miner's Claim) hadn't run in six months... He was game."

The $150,000 Grade III Bourbonette Oaks went to Maren's Meadow after she took the lead on the far turn and pulled ahead by 11/4 lengths at the finish over Valentine Fever, followed by A to the Croft, the favorite. Trainer Larry Jones said the winner has shown a special talent for two-turn racing. She paid $17.60 and ran the mile in 1:38.15.

Mitigation took command at the half-mile call and widened his lead to win by 31/4 lengths in the $50,000 Hansel Stakes, paying $9.20 and finishing the six furlongs in 1:10.03. U.S. Cavalry was second and Stormin Yank, the favorite, ran third.

Pola's Place took the $50,000 Queen Stakes by three-quarters of a length over Victorianna, with Just for Keeps third. The favorite, Gem Sleuth, ran seventh. Pola's Place ran six furlongs in 1:10.37 under Thomas Pompell and paid $15.60.