LEA Runs Big in Donn Handicap

Although second to the quick CONSTITUTION in last Saturday's Grade 1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream, beaten favorite LEA ran another good one for trainer Bill Mott. Moving forward, he's the one I'll take out of the race.

Speed horses excelled at Gulfstream that afternoon and Constitution grabbed the early lead from his advantageous inside post position. His rider, Javier Castellano, did a fantastic job backing down the pace with fractions of 23.31, 47.29 and 1:11.18 for six furlongs. Meanwhile, Lea tracked along the rail and in the two-path on the backstretch. He secured the pocket entering the final turn and had to wait just a bit before being eased off the inside turning for home. Lea had the length of the stretch to run down Constitution, but couldn't overcome that one's tactical advantage and fell three-quarters of a length shy. “He ran well,” Mott told track publicity after the Donn. “We were inside and had to wait until the three sixteenths-pole to come out. If he could have taken a run at that horse a little sooner maybe that would have changed it.”

Lea’s rider, Joel Rosario, also felt that he was compromised at a crucial moment of the race. “I may have waited too long but he ran his race. He was really running at the end.”

Constitution completed the Donn's 1 1/8-mile distance in 1:49.51. He earned a 113 Beyer Speed Figure. Lea received a 112 and was 4 ¼ lengths clear of third-place finisher ELNAAWI.

Lea has blossomed since being transformed into a dirt campaigner. In 10 starts for previous trainer Al Stall Jr., Lea earned a Grade 3 victory in the Commonwealth Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf and was Grade 2-placed twice behind champion Wise Dan. Lea only started twice on dirt for Stall, however. He won an 'n3x' optional claimer in a sloppy, off-the-turf heat at Churchill Downs on June 1, 2013 and finished fourth in the Grade 1 Forego Stakes, also contested over sloppy going, at Saratoga on August 31 of that year. Mott made it his mission to move Lea to the main track and the son of First Samurai responded with two brilliant wins last winter at Gulfstream. He knocked off the Grade 3 Hal's Hope Stakes in his first start for the Hall of Fame conditioner before impressively taking the measure of the good Will Take Charge in track record time in the 2014 Donn.

Following that performance, there were great expectations for a big 5-year-old season, but Lea took ill and didn't make it back to the races for the remainder of 2014. He returned in the 2015 edition of the Hal's Hope and was visually impressive. Lea was buried on the rail in a race without much pace. Shuffled back to last in upper stretch, Rosario angled Lea to the far outside, and he came with a determined run to overhaul the leaders. Considering he only ran for about 1 1/2 furlongs in the Hal's Hope, his first start in 11 months and only his third race since the fall of 2013, one had every right to wonder if Lea would be cranked up tight for the Donn. It’s scary to think he wasn’t at 110% fitness, although it’s likely that Mott had him really ready to roll.

While Constitution is being considered for the $10 million Dubai World Cup (Group 1) on March 28 at Meydan, Lea is very doubtful for that spot. More likely, Mott will search for graded stakes opportunities in America. The question has never been about talent with Lea. It’s to do with soundness. If Mott can keep Lea healthy and happy, the Claiborne Farm and Adele B. Dilschneider homebred could be in for a really nice season.