Paddy O’Prado won Saturday in his first start of 2011.
The 4-year-old, owned by a partnership of Iowans, charged from last place in the final half-mile to win the $200,000 Dixie Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on that track’s Preakness Day program.
It was the first start since the Breeders’ Cup Classic last November for Paddy O’Prado, who was third in the 2010 Kentucky Derby and one of three finalists for the nation’s champion 3-year-old.
Paddy O’Prado, the 3-5 favorite, began circling the field on the far turn of the 1 1/8-mile race on grass, then headed Baryshnikov deep in the stretch. It was his fifth win in 14 career starts.
“It was awful nervous watching at first,” said Dennis Albaugh of Ankeny, one of the colt’s owners. “It seemed like he was out for a Sunday leisure and then he decided it was time to race.”
Albaugh and son-in-law Jason Loutsch watched the race at Prairie Meadows. Then Loutsch headed off for his daughter Julianah’s 10th birthday party.
“This will be an extra present,” Loutsch said. “I was really nervous for the first quarter-mile because of the slow fractions, but the horse is so talented that he just knows what he needs to do. When Kent (jockey Desormeaux) asked him to go, Paddy did his Paddy move and just took off. It was a great effort.”
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It was the first start since the Breeders’ Cup Classic last November for Paddy O’Prado, who was third in the 2010 Kentucky Derby and one of three finalists for the nation’s champion 3-year-old.
Paddy O’Prado, the 3-5 favorite, began circling the field on the far turn of the 1 1/8-mile race on grass, then headed Baryshnikov deep in the stretch. It was his fifth win in 14 career starts.
“It was awful nervous watching at first,” said Dennis Albaugh of Ankeny, one of the colt’s owners. “It seemed like he was out for a Sunday leisure and then he decided it was time to race.”
Albaugh and son-in-law Jason Loutsch watched the race at Prairie Meadows. Then Loutsch headed off for his daughter Julianah’s 10th birthday party.
“This will be an extra present,” Loutsch said. “I was really nervous for the first quarter-mile because of the slow fractions, but the horse is so talented that he just knows what he needs to do. When Kent (jockey Desormeaux) asked him to go, Paddy did his Paddy move and just took off. It was a great effort.”
