Horse RacingNews

Authentic’s Rising Star Verifire Streaks Clear In Pimlico Opener

Resolute Racing‘s Verifire dominated Thursday’s allowance race at Pimlico, securing his second consecutive victory by 6 1/2 lengths as the overwhelming 1-20 favorite.

The 3-year-old colt by Authentic completed the six-furlong sprint in 1:10.65 on a fast track, earning $54,810 in the Black-Eyed Susan Day opener. Jockey Flavien Prat guided the Brad Cox trainee to an impressive wire-to-wire victory.

Verifire, who earned TDN Rising Star status after his maiden victory at Colonial Downs in March, broke sharply from the gate and set early fractions of :23.69 and :46.22 while facing pressure from Saxton, the 5-1 second choice.

The favorite began to pull away at the top of the stretch, extending his advantage through the final furlong under minimal urging from Prat.

The victory brings Verifire’s career earnings to $77,400 with a perfect 2-for-2 record.

Bred in Kentucky by Gainesway Thoroughbreds, Verifire represents a significant return on investment for his connections. Initially purchased as a yearling for $260,000 at the Keeneland September sale, the colt later commanded $1 million at the OBS March two-year-old sale.

Verifire is out of Ruby Trust (Smart Strike), a stakes-placed mare who earned $145,212 during her racing career. Gainesway purchased Ruby Trust for $180,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale while in foal to Catalina Cruiser.

The dam’s other offspring include Golden Tornado, a 2-year-old McKinzie colt who sold for $475,000 to Reeves Thoroughbred Racing at Keeneland September, and a yearling filly by Olympiad purchased by McMahon & Hill for $130,000 at Keeneland November.

Jordan Harris
Jordan Harris
Jordan Harris brings expertise and passion to RacingReins as a seasoned Senior Writer. With a robust foundation in Sports Media, Jordan joined the RacingReins editorial team in 2022. Jordan delivers compelling news stories, in-depth feature articles, and detailed racing results.

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