Authentic colt tallies first stakes win in KY Downs Preview Nashville Derby

Tomasello won a race-long duel with Yinzer to earn his first stakes win in the $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Nashville Derby Aug. 2 at Ellis Park.

By virtue of the win, the 3-year-old Authentic colt is guaranteed a starting spot in the $3.5 million Nashville Derby Invitational (G3), which runs Aug. 30 at Kentucky Downs.

Making his first appearance since finishing third in the Audubon S. May 31 at Churchill Downs, Tomasello sat second just behind Yinzer through the early stages. After six furlongs in a tepid 1:13.17, Tomasello began to close the gap on the leader and ultimately took over the top spot with a furlong to run, then drew off to win by 1 ½-lengths in 1:47.13 for the nine furlongs on the firm turf.

“I put him in the position he liked to be,” said winning rider Fernando De La Cruz. “He took me into the stretch and when it was time to go, he was ready.”

Tomasello is an excellent 3-2-2 in eight starts and has earned $349,966 for Ironhorse Racing Stable LLC and T-N-T Equine Holdings LLC. The bay colt was bred in Kentucky by Barry Becker & Judith Becker.

Tomasello is one of four stakes winners and 10 stakes horses this year for Authentic. With progeny earnings of over $3.5 million to date, Authentic is third on the Second-Crop Sire list.