Lane Way Works 5F in Under a Minute - What's Next?

Lane Way breezed a razor-sharp bullet five furlongs in :59.60 (2/95) this morning at Del Mar from the gate under regular exercise rider Jose Contreras. Our veteran gelding was just a touch slow initially from the gate but quickly got into stride and looked powerful down the stretch. Working from the gate, this work was completed on the backstretch and Lane Way continued his speed throughout the entirety of the work.

The Path Ahead 

With nominations being released for the G2 Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs, Lane Way has about a 50% chance of getting into the race. While there is always a large number of nominations, trainer Richard Mandella believes the G2 placing would be good enough to get us into the body of the race. 

Preference into the field is determined by: In the event that more than twelve entries pass the entry box, the starters will be determined at that time with preference given to the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Sprint winner at Ellis Park, Graded or Group Stakes winners (in order I-II-III) then Graded or Group Placed (2nd or 3rd), Open Stakes winners, then highest turf earnings in 2023. Any horse excluded from running because of the aforementioned preference shall be refunded the entry fee and supplementary nomination fee if applicable. 

In communication with the Kentucky Downs racing office, Lane Way is currently ranked 16th (12 will run) on the list of probable entrants which excludes horses who are not considering the race despite being nominated. Of course, the last thing we would want to do is ship to Kentucky and not get into the body of the race or be stuck on the also-eligibles. 

Over the next five days, we will have to make a final decision as entries for the G3 Green Flash at Del Mar are taken on Wednesday for Saturday, September 2nd (Pacific Classic Day). Green Flash nominations closed yesterday and should be released later today. We will remain in touch with Kentucky Downs throughout the weekend and early next week to monitor any potential changes as the Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint was Richard’s preference given the distance and the lucrative purse. 

As soon as we have any word of which direction we will confidently go we will report back.