After chasing Knicks Go unsuccessfully in the Jan. 23 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) and fading to eighth, Last Judgment made his four rivals give futile chase March 6 in the $98,000 Michelob Ultra Challenger Stakes (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs.
Hustled to the lead by jockey Daniel Centeno, Last Judgment carved out splits of :23.79, :47.41, and 1:11.37 in the 1 1/16-mile race over a fast track, and maintained a comfortable lead in the stretch, lasting by 2 1/4 lengths over grade 2 winner and runner-up Modernist , who was 1 3/4 lengths clear of show finisher War Stopper. The winner, a 5-year-old gelded son of Congrats, was timed in 1:41.98, just .23 shy of the 1:41.75 stakes and track record set by Stanford in 2017.
"He broke really sharp and made an easy lead all the way to the wire," Centeno said. "(Letmeno) got a little close to me past the half-mile pole, but my horse grabbed the bit again and I knew I had plenty of horse left. It looks like he can run all day. It’s nice when you get a lead like that and the horse is enjoying being out there all by himself.”
Letmeno and Jungle Fighter rounded out the short five-horse field in the Challenger, the first of five stakes at the track on a card that featured the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2).
The victory was the second in four starts since Last Judgment ($4.80) was claimed by trainer Mike Maker for $62,500 in October at Belmont Park. The 5-year-old gelding also captured the Sunshine Classic Stakes against Florida-breds earlier this year, one start before he was unplaced in the Pegasus. He races for owners Michael Dubb, Steve Hornstock, Bethlehem Stables, and Nice Guys Stables.
“It looked like he should be forwardly placed and that’s how the race was run. He seemed to be well within himself the whole way. He got into a nice rhythm and kept it going," trainer Mike Maker said. "We tried to chase Knicks Go in the Pegasus. I’ll try to spot him more appropriately the rest of the year.”
Last Judgment improved his career record to 7-for-16 and earnings to $333,365. Bred by Woodford Thoroughbreds, he is one of three black-type runners for his dam, the Forestry mare Fantasy Forest. She also produced stakes-placed runners Mighty Ssing and Lady Racer. Her most recent foals include an unnamed Outwork 2-year-old filly and an unnamed Good Magic yearling colt.
