‘It’s a really good win for the home team.’ Keeneland stakes winner stays undefeated.

Analyze It, Chad Brown’s lightly raced bay colt making his 3-year-old debut, remained undefeated Friday with a convincing win in the $150,000, Grade 3 Kentucky Utilities Transylvania Stakes on opening day of the Spring Meet at Keeneland.

Under cloudy skies and over yielding turf, jockey Jose Ortiz guided the 4-5 favorite from the outside post in an 11-horse race and settled in behind the front-running Beer Pressure and Dragon Drew as they came by the 18,374 fans along the front stretch for the first time in the 1 1/16-mile race.

“We were expecting one of two horses to go into the lead,” said Ortiz, who had two other wins on the day. “I think the post position (No. 12), a lot of people thought that was going to hurt me, but I like it when I sit right there. He can let the inside go, and he can see it and run up on the best horse.”

Brown, who this week has bemoaned having the No. 11 post for Good Magic in Saturday’s $1 million Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, couldn’t have been happy drawing the far outside for Analyze It, either.

“But when you have a horse that’s supposed to be that much the best, another way to look at it is you can stay out of trouble that way,” Brown said. “I have a great jockey on the horse and my team’s done a terrific job with this horse.”

Analyze It held steady with no trouble all the way through the final turn until Ortiz was ready to set him loose, pulling away to win by more than 5 lengths.

“When it was time to go, I pulled the trigger and he was there for me,” Ortiz said. “He’s really smooth and does everything so easy.”

Analyze It paid $3.60, $2.80 and $2.40 with 8-1 shot Captivating Moon coming in second for $5.80 and $4.20. Admiralty Pier, off at 11-1, paid $5.40 for third. A $2 exacta paid $19.80 with a $2 trifecta yielding $102.40.

“It’s a really good win for the home team,” Brown said. “This horse was raised just miles from here at Mill Ridge Farm. (He’s a) Keeneland sale grad. Pete Bradley, who bought the horse for us, has a big business here in Lexington so I feel it’s a huge win for the home team.”

Despite being the favorite, there were questions about Analyze It’s long layoff and lack of a true test. He last raced Nov. 26, winning the Grade 3 Cecille B. DeMille at Del Mar. Now, with three wins in three tries, Analyze It might next be pointed to the Belmont Derby on July 7, Brown said.

“It’s going to be hard to make me move from that plan, but with a great racehorse all options are on the table,” Brown said.

▪ Determinant was scratched from the Transylvania in anticipation of a spot opening in Saturday’s Toyota Blue Grass Stakes and is expected to take the place of Quip in that race. Quip was to be scratched and head for next week’s Arkansas Derby instead.

This story was originally published April 6, 2018 at 7:48 PM with the headline "‘It’s a really good win for the home team.’ Keeneland stakes winner stays undefeated.."