Revolutionary rallies for big win in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special

Revolutionary carried WinStar Farm’s colors into the Pimlico winner’s circle on Friday with a come-from-behind victory in the $300,000 Pimlico Special (G3).

Looking to build on his second-place finish in the Grade 1 Oaklawn H. last month, Revolutionary got squeezed back at the break and found himself in the back of the nine-horse field the first time past the finish line.

Pacesetter Valid posted a very quick half-mile in :46.98, while Mike Smith was sitting patiently on Revolutionary, some 14 lengths back. Smith asked his mount to pick up the pace entering the final turn to cut the lead in half by the time they hit the stretch.

Smith sent Revolutionary to the middle of the track, and the 4-year-old began to gobble up the ground, passing several foes in the final furlong to win by a neck over multiple graded stakes winner Prayer for Relief.

“That was a good win. He came from way, way off it (the pace),” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “We didn’t anticipate being that far back, but I felt a little better when the fractions were as fast as they were. Turning for home he was right in the mix. I think he showed last year and as a 2-year-old that he was a really good horse. He won the Louisiana Derby and he was third in the Kentucky Derby. This was a big effort for him.”

Revolutionary ran 1 3/16 miles in 1:55.99 and earned $180,000 for his fifth victory in 12 lifetime starts. Last year, the Kentucky-bred colt won the Withers S. (G3) and the Louisiana Derby (G2) before finishing third in the 2013 Kentucky Derby (G1). His lifetime bankroll stands at $1,347,600.

WinStar purchased Revolutionary, a son of War Pass out of the Grade 1 winner Runup the Colors, for $235,000 out of the 2012 OBS March Select Sale of 2-year-olds.