Three Takeaways from 2021 Lexington Stakes

Apr 13, 2021 by James Scully/TwinSpires.com

Saturday’s Lexington S. (G3) at Keeneland awarded 34
combined points (20-8-4-2) as one of the final qualifiers for the Kentucky Derby,
and late runners finished one-two in the 1 1/16-mile race.

King Fury fires big in
return, joins Kentucky Derby bubble

Overlooked at 18-1 odds in his first start since late
November, King Fury opened his
three-year-old season with a sharp 2 3/4-length score in the Lexington. The Kenny
McPeek-trained Curlin colt will target the Kentucky Derby on May 1, but King
Fury will need significant defections to qualify after earning his first 20
points.

The late-running chestnut presently is ranked 26th on the
points list. Two weeks remain until the Kentucky Derby draw on Tuesday, April
27.

After finishing outside the top four in three
points-qualifying races last fall, King Fury easily recorded a career-best
performance in the Lexington. He received a 95 Brisnet Speed rating after
closing boldly from off the pace with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.

Preakness angle for
McPeek runner

McPeek tried to get Senior Investment into the Kentucky
Derby after his upset win in the 2017 Lexington, but the first-time stakes victor
did not have enough points to make the Kentucky Derby field.

Redirected to the Preakness S. (G1) two weeks later, Senior
Investment turned in a career-best performance finishing third at 31-1 in the
second leg of the Triple Crown.

King Fury has more going for him than Senior Investment, who
was exposed finishing a well-beaten sixth in the Louisiana Derby (G2) prior to
the Lexington.

Campaigned by Fern City Stables and Three Chimneys Farm,
King Fury is eligible to keep progressing off the encouraging seasonal debut,
and he will rate as an interesting longshot at Pimlico if he doesn’t make the
Kentucky Derby field.

McPeek won the 2020 Preakness with the filly Swiss Skydiver
at 11-1.

Unbridled Honor a
clear second

Bettors dismissed Unbridled
Honor at 20-1 – King Fury and Unbridled Honor were the respective seventh
and eight choices among nine Lexington runners – but the gray colt outperformed
expectations finishing a clear second.

By Honor Code, Unbridled Honor did not turn heads when posting
a slow maiden win at Tampa Bay Downs in early February, and the confirmed closer
didn’t attract much notice after offering a decent bid to be a non-threatening
fourth in his first stakes attempt, the March 6 Tampa Bay Derby (G2).

King Fury got the jump on him in the Lexington, but the Todd
Pletcher-trained Unbridled Honor took another step forward Saturday. He’s
gained valuable stakes experience in the last two outings

Look for Unbridled Honor’s participation in either the
Preakness or Belmont Stakes.