It was a day to be on the lead at Kentucky Downs, as another front runner came home the winner at the Franklin, Ky., track. Adventuring had won in near gate to wire fashion the race before, with Accredit doing much the same in the 1 5/16-mile Dueling Grounds Derby.
Breaking from post one, jockey Martin Garcia hustled Accredit to the lead, the field of ten other 3-year-old colts and geldings strung out behind him through the early part of the race. Behind him, Modern Science took up second with Yes This Time and Hillard rounding out the top four. Accredit controlled the pace throughout, setting fractions of :24.17, :49.03, and 1:14.31 over the first six furlongs. By the time the field reached the final bend, Accredit was three lengths in front.
Into the long Kentucky Downs stretch, the easy early pace allowed Accredit to hang on to front runner status, as Modern Science and Cellist made a run at him early in the straight. The son of Flatter had plenty in reserve, holding off those challengers and then a surging Yes This Time in the final sixteenth to win the Dueling Grounds Derby by a length. Yes This Time, Cellist, and Modern Science rounded out the top four.
The final time for the 1 5/16-miles was 2:10.58. Find this race's chart here.
Accredit paid $75.00, $28.80, and $12.20. Yes This Time paid $5.60 and $4.00. Cellist paid $3.60.
Bred in Kentucky by E. H. Beau Lane III, Accredit is out of the unraced Bernstein mare Berncredit. He is trained by Pavel Matejka, who also co-owns the colt with Bob Grayson, Jr. Accredit was a $60,000 RNA consigned by Beau Lane Bloodstock at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. With his win in the Dueling Grounds Derby, the 3-year-old colt has three wins in seven lifetime starts for career earnings of $572,619.
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