Colonel Ludlow battled with A Thousand Miles throughout much of the one mile and seventy-yard contest before finally edging clear at the wire to win the Gottstein Futurity at Emerald Downs by a neck on Sunday, 15 September.
The two-year-old colt by Street Sense, who was making his Stakes debut in the Futurity, entered the contest off a sharp maiden victory going five furlongs in his previous start. Colonel Ludlow has now won two of three career starts.
A field of 10 went to the post in the Gottstein Futurity, with Si That Tiger sent off as the favorite. Colonel Ludlow broke sharply and quickly rushed up to prompt the early pace while racing three-wide. Colonel Ludlow took a short lead from A Thousand Miles nearing the half mile pole, opened a lead near the eighth pole, then was all out to hold off that rival in a prolonged drive to the wire.
Bred in Kentucky by Indian Creek, Colonel Ludlow is out of the winning Smart Strike mare, Comedia, and hails from the immediate family of Graded Stakes winners Intricate (G2), Miss Isella (G2) and Sir Cherokee (G2).
Colonel Ludlow is the second juvenile Stakes winner of the weekend for Street Sense, joining La Cara, winner of the G3 Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs. Street Sense has sired four Graded Stakes winners so far this year. In addition to La Cara, he is the sire of First Mission (G2 Alysheba Stakes, G3 Essex H.), Never Explain (G3 Tampa Bay Stakes) and Comparative (G3 Bayakoa and Ladies Stakes).
