Slipstream came through a narrow opening in upper stretch to defeat Twilight Gleaming in Sunday’s $200,000 Palisades S. at Keeneland. The victory was the second stakes win and third overall for the 3-year-old More Than Ready colt, who could potentially make his next start at the historic Royal Ascot meet in Great Britain.
Slipstream, trained by Christophe Clement, was making his first start since a troubled trip in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) in November. After getting away last in the field of seven traveling 5 ½-furlongs on the turf, Slipstream and jockey Joel Rosario hugged the rail as they waited for racing room on the turn. When a gap opened coming into the stretch, Slipstream shot through and ran down Twilight Gleaming the final furlong, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:02.80 on the “good” turf.
“(It) looked like he was loaded with horse,” said Clement’s assistant Ben Colebrook. “It was just whether he was going to get out, and right when you think that, it opened up and he just exploded through that hole. It was impressive and Joel did a great job.”
Slipstream is owned by Jump Sucker Stable, who Colebrook said would make the determination on the Ascot trip. Winner of last year’s Futurity (G3) on the lawn at Belmont, Slipstream is now 3-0-1 in six starts and has earned $288,500.
Bred by Burleson Farm and Mckenzie Bloodstock, Slipstream is one of two black type winners from the stakes-placed Cake Baby.
More Than Ready has five stakes winners worldwide this year and has the potential Kentucky Derby (G1) starter in Emmanuel, who placed in Saturday’s Blue Grass S. (G1).
