Analyze It Stays Perfect with Dominating Win in Opening-Day Kentucky Utilities Transylvania

By Amy Owens —-

LEXINGTON, KY (April 6, 2018) – William Lawrence’s Analyze It swept to the lead leaving the far turn and bounded away to a 5¼-length victory in the 30th running of the $150,000 Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3) for 3-year-olds before a Spring Meet opening-day crowd of 18,374 on a brisk Friday afternoon.

Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Analyze It covered the 1 1/16 miles on a turf course rated as yielding in 1:45.60. Brown earned his 20th stakes victory at Keeneland and second in the race, having saddled Night Prowler in 2015.

Analyze It, who was making his 2018 debut, completed 2017 with a 4¼-length victory in the Cecil B. DeMille (G3) at Del Mar in November.

The victory was worth $90,000 and increased Analyze It’s earnings to $195,000 with a perfect three-for-three record. His four wins have come by a combined 15¾ lengths.

A Keeneland sales graduate, Analyze It is a Kentucky-bred son of Point of Entry out of the Consolidator mare Sweet Assay.

Longshot Beer Pressure shot out to an uncontested lead from the gate while Ortiz guided Analyze It into the three path from the outside post before the field reached the first turn.

Beer Pressure cut out fractions of :24.30 and :48.83 but by the time he had completed 6 furlongs in 1:15.21, the field was closing in. Analyze It and Dragon Drew swept past on the far turn with Analyze It quickly opening a daylight advantage and leaving the rest of the field in a chase for minor awards.

Sent off as the 4-5 favorite in the field of 11, Analyze It returned $3.60, $2.80 and $2.40. Captivating Moon, ridden by Florent Geroux, returned $5.80 and $4.20 with Admiralty Pier finishing a nose back in third under Luis Saez and returning $5.40 to show.

Dragon Drew finished fourth another half-length back and was followed in order by Maraud, Tigers Rule, Funny Duck, Golden Dragon, King Valero, Tap Daddy and Beer Pressure.

Racing resumes Saturday with an 11-race program that features five graded stakes and is highlighted by the 94th running of the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass (G2) and the 81st running of the $500,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1), two major prep races for the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Oaks (G1), respectively. First post time Saturday is 1:05 p.m. ET.

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A record $30,000 was awarded during Friday’s College Scholarship Day at Keeneland. Connor O’Brien of Boston and Laura Grueneberg of Louisville each won a $10,000 Runhappy Scholarship on their first visit here. The Runhappy Scholarship, first awarded during the 2016 Spring Meet, is presented by Jim and Linda McIngvale, owners of champion Runhappy, who stands at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky.

O’Brien is a sophomore at the University of Kentucky, studying secondary education and social studies. He aspires to become a high school history teacher.

“I’ve always loved horse racing,” O’Brien said. “I’ve been to the Kentucky Oaks before; the Kentucky Derby is on my bucket list. Coming out here, enjoying the weather, having a good time with friends – that’s what I’m here for.”

Grueneberg is a senior in chemical engineering at UK, and already has accepted a full-time job as a software developer.

Making the check presentation was Claiborne’s Stallion Seasons and Bloodstock Manager Bernie Sams.

Quotes from the $150,000 Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3)

Chad Brown (winning trainer of Analyze It)

On concern about the outside post

“Of course – in a turf race whenever you draw that far outside. 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. I have a great jockey on the horse (Jose Ortiz) and my team’s done a terrific job with this horse. It’s a really good win for the home team. 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.

On future plans for Analyze It. Representatives of Royal Ascot were in attendance at Keeneland for the race.

“Not sure. The Belmont Derby (G1 on July 7) is right at our home track. It’s worth a lot of money. I think this horse will love a mile and a quarter. It’s going to be hard to make me move from that plan, but with a great racehorse all options are on the table.”

Jose Ortiz (winning rider)

“Chad drew (a plan) perfect for me. He said hopefully two or three horses would go and you can sit tight, third or fourth. And that’s what I did. (Analyze It) relaxed very well. The fast pace helped me a lot. When I asked him to go, he went so well, so smooth. He’s a really, really nice horse.”

Florent Geroux (rider of runner-up Captivating Moon)

“I had a good trip. My horse likes to sit back and make one run. We were on the outside so we had a nice clear run. It looks like the winner is a very nice horse.”

Luis Saez (rider of third-place finisher Admiralty Pier)

“He tried pretty hard. He got a good break, and was right there. I was in behind the winner and I knew he was going to take me there. When we came to the stretch, I thought we going to beat (Analyze It), but then he just took off.”

James Graham (rider of fourth-place finisher Dragon Drew)

“I had a great trip. A longshot (Beer Pressure) went out there on the lead and wore himself out. I was a longshot myself, but we turned for home and the winner quickened twice. I quickened once and I needed to quicken twice. And my horse is still learning. He’s still a big baby. He ran a good race; hopefully, he takes another step forward and we’ll be happy with him. We were bobs apart (for second) and he was running all he could.”

Keeneland Photos
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For more than 80 years, the Keeneland Association has devoted itself to the health and vibrancy of the Thoroughbred industry. As the world’s largest Thoroughbred auction company, Keeneland conducts sales every January, September and November. Its sales graduates dominate racing across the globe at every level. In April and October, Keeneland offers some of the highest caliber and richest Thoroughbred racing in the world. In 2015, Keeneland hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Uniquely structured, Keeneland is a private, for-profit corporation that returns its earnings to the industry and the community in the form of higher purses, and it has donated millions of dollars in charitable contributions for education, research and health and human services throughout Central Kentucky. To learn more about Keeneland, visit Keeneland.com.