Somerset West wins G2 $1.5 million Ainsworth Music City

With five horses lined up across the track in tight quarters coming to the final strides of the Grade 2, $1.5 million Ainsworth Music City Stakes on Saturday evening at Kentucky Downs, it was Keith Abrahams’ homebred

Somerset West who was clear on the outside and up to win by half a length, springing a $102.45 upset for a $5 win wager in the turf sprint for 3-year-old fillies.

Somerset West, by Kantharos, is Kentucky-bred but California-based with trainer John Sadler, venturing to race outside of that state for the first time. However, she seemed well-suited to this Kentucky Downs course. The filly took four tries to break her maiden, but did so going this same 6 ½ furlongs on June 6 at Santa Anita on that track’s hillside, or downhill turf course. She then stepped up to stakes company for the first time, winning the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes going a mile on July 18 at Del Mar. Runs on the downhill turf at Santa Anita would have prepared her for the undulating Kentucky Downs turf course. And, although officially, she was cutting back in distance for Saturday’s race, the undulations of this course often make races feel longer, meaning her mile experience was to her benefit.

“Our confidence was pretty good,” Abrahams said. “She was working unbelievable since the last race she was in. And so everything we felt was going right going in. The distance was not an issue because we had just won the San Clemente and we saw her numbers from that race and really her six furlong races were much faster. So this was perfect.

“She had been a little bit unlucky because maybe it was more about where she was positioned in those races,” the owner-breeder continued. “She never ran a bad race. Her numbers were all good. Sometimes, it works out for the best because she probably came into the San Clemente a little more seasoned.”

With a large field of 12 starters for the Music City, and the field breaking near the crest on the course before sweeping downhill into the first turn, a lively pace was virtually assured. Indeed, Light Won Up, also a California shipper, emerged from a scramble to click off an opening quarter of 22.78 seconds while pressed by Sapphire Beach on her outside. Cadenza, who broke from the extreme outside post, stacked up outside of them to keep things honest as Sapphire Beach poked her head in front of her frontrunning foe through the half in 45.52 seconds, with Ground Support, a debut winner here last year, covered up on the inside of that one. Somerset West was ninth at that point, but in the clear and less than four lengths back.

Meanwhile, heavily-favored Cy Fair, winner of last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, was eighth under Johnny Velazquez after that opening half, but had her work cut out for her. As she broke from the rail, she had gotten a ground-saving trip, but was desperately seeking room to make a run.

Light Won Up and Sapphire Beach refused to fade in the stretch although they were in tight in the middle of the quintet that stacked up in the final yards. Ground Support was fighting to hold position on the rail, with Lion Lake revving up four wide, and Somerset West widest of all under Luis Saez.

“We knew there was going to be a lot of speed, and my horse comes from behind,” Saez said. “We were tucked behind the speed. When she came at the three-eighths pole, I felt like I had a lot of horse. At the top of the stretch, she gave me a good turn of foot. It was a beautiful race.”

Somerset West, full of run, swept by a half length at the wire. The final time for the 6 1/2 furlongs on firm turf was 1:15.80.

After Somerset West, who rewarded her backers handsomely on the $5 minimum wager, the official margins had Lion Lake edging Ground Support by a head for second; the latter besting Sapphire Beach by a half length; and Light Won Up just a nose back in fifth.

Behind those came Cy Fair, another three-quarters of a length behind Light Won Up in sixth, as she never found a way through.

“By the time he could go, the race was already done,” trainer George Weaver said. “She didn’t get beat that far. No regrets, she’s still special. We’re going to the Breeders’ Cup.”

After Cy Fair, Quiet Street, Cadenza, Final Accord, Green Sense, Coco Connect, and Percy’s Bar rounded out the order of finish. Percy’s Bar, a Grade 1 winner on the dirt, never made an impact in her first try on turf.

Live racing resumes on Sunday afternoon with a 12-race card, featuring the Grade 3, $1.5 million Global Tote Ladies Marathon Invitational and the $500,000 One Dreamer. First post is 12:25 PM CT.

The 1/ST BET Kentucky Downs Meet will be broadcast live each day of the seven-day meet on Peacock, FanDuelTV, as well as Kentucky Downs’ YouTube channel @kydownsracing. NBC Sports also will provide live coverage of Opening Day from 3:00-5:00 PM CT, while NBC will air Kentucky Downs on Saturday, September 5 during the same time slot.

Contact: Ryan Martin

(502) 523-4935