The day at Keeneland: Elektrum rallies to take Rood & Riddle Dowager

Yesterday’s figures: on-track attendance, 15,784; on-track betting, $760,009.10; total betting including simulcast, $6,135,737.17.

This day last year: on-track attendance, 14,104; on-track betting, $893,027; total betting including simulcast, $5,002,952.

FINAL FURLONG

▪  Stride by stride, inch by inch Elektrum ground it out on Keeneland’s turf until pushing her nose in front of Apple Betty to win the Grade III, $125,000 Rood & Riddle Dowager Stakes on Sunday.

Jockey Drayden Van Dyke said he didn’t know he was going to win until “right at the wire.” He hadn’t been sure even inside the sixteenth pole when Elektrum followed Apple Betty’s surge to the lead, but remained several lengths behind her.

Not until the final yards did it even appear that Elektrum, coming from seventh, might have a chance to catch Apple Betty, who had traveled from Europe for this race. In fact, it looked like 3-year-old Apple Betty was going to cash the winner’s purse into Euros — until 5-year-old Elektrum nailed her on the outside, right as they crossed the finish.

“Once I switched my stick to the right hand and started getting after her, then she kind of surged a little bit more,” Van Dyke said. Elektrum completed the 1 1/2 miles on firm turf in 2:33.08 and, as the favorite in the field of 11 fillies and mares, returned a win mutual of $7. Swear by It finished third.

Brian Hernandez Jr., the rider on Apple Betty, said if he’d been able to wait longer to move, that might have made the difference.

▪  Julien Leparoux enhanced his standing as leading rider of the meet thus far, winning the fifth race on Our Stormin Norman and the seventh on The Truth Or Else to bring his total number of winners for the meet to 16. Jose Ortiz remains in second with 10 wins.

This story was originally published October 23, 2016 at 6:38 PM with the headline "The day at Keeneland: Elektrum rallies to take Rood & Riddle Dowager."