Complexity leads wire-to-wire in Champagne

Oct 06, 2018 by James Scully/TwinSpires.com

With a convincing wire-to-wire win in the $500,000 Champagne (G1) , Complexity confirmed himself as a top contender for the November 2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Churchill Downs. He earned a free berth to the Juvenile in the “Win & You’re In” event and picked up 10 points in the Road to the Kentucky Derby series qualifier.

A bay colt by Maclean’s Music, Complexity broke sharply and seized control by surging clear a few jumps out of the starting gate, reaching the quarter-mile mark in :22.51 with a one-length lead. He began to edge away rounding the far turn of the one-mile test and continued to widen his advantage into the stretch, establishing splits in :45.31 and 1:09.40 before stopping the teletimer in 1:34.63 over Belmont Park's fast dirt.

Code of Honor, who got away to a stumbling start, rallied belatedly on the far outside to reduce the final margin to three lengths on the wire but never was a serious threat to the winner.

Complexity was favored at 5-2 among 10 two-year-old rivals. Code of Honor, who was off at 14-1, wound up three lengths better than the 6-1 Call Paul, who edged the late-running Aurelius MaximusAurelius Maximus by a nose for third.