LEXINGTON, KY (October 19, 2011) – Glen Hill Farm’s Customer Base and Julien Leparoux, the Fall Meeting’s leading jockey, teamed up to win the featured $52,000 Courthouse Purse for 2-year-old fillies before a crowd of 6,838 at Keeneland on Wednesday afternoon.
Due to daylong rain, Keeneland moved the two scheduled turf races to the main track, and the Courthouse, originally carded for a mile on turf, was run at 1 1/16 miles. Customer Base, a daughter of Lemon Drop Kid who was the even-money favorite, took the lead inside the eighth pole and won by 1½ lengths over Dream Pegasus.
Customer Base, who covered the distance in 1:42.23, remained unbeaten in two starts. On September 3, she won her 5½-furlong career debut at Del Mar.
The victory, worth $31,200, increased Customer Base’s career earnings to $69,000. She returned $4.20, $3.20 and $2.60. Dream Pegasus, ridden by Manny Cruz, returned $5 and $3.40. Finishing three-quarters of a length behind in third was Little Nip, who paid $5.20 to show with James Graham aboard.
Racing continues Thursday with a nine-race program that begins at 1:15 p.m. (ET). Highlighting the card is the 17th running of the $100,000 Sycamore (G3) for 3-year-olds and older horses going 1½ miles on the grass. The Sycamore is the eighth race with a 4:52 p.m. post time.
On Thursday, Keeneland is recognizing last year’s Sycamore winner, Brass Hat, who earned $2,173,561 for owner Fred Bradley of Frankfort and was one of the most popular runners in Kentucky in recent years. The now-10-year-old gelding will be paraded in the paddock after the seventh race.
