Field Pass

 Field Pass, a gray or roan Lemon Drop Kid colt owned by Three Diamonds Farm and trained by Mike Maker, finished second by a half-length in his June 2019 debut at Churchill Downs and then won on July 13 at Saratoga, both races coming on turf.

He remained on grass for his next three starts but was elevated to stakes company, finishing second in the Grade 3 With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga in late August and then fourth twice in stakes at Laurel Park and Keeneland.

Maker tried Field Pass on dirt in an October allowance/optional claiming race, but the colt finished a well-beaten sixth. He was then given a break until Feb. 1, when he returned in the Dania Beach Stakes on turf at Gulfstream. Field Pass rallied from off the pace to score a neck win in the one-mile event, improving his career record to 2-2-0 in seven starts.

In his next start, Field Pass switched to the synthetic Polytrack surface at Turfway Park, competing for Kentucky Derby qualifying points in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks on March 14. With Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard, he stalked the pace and then engaged favored Invader in midstretch, outfinishing that foe for a neck victory that earned him 20 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby.

Field Pass returned to turf for his next two starts during Churchill Downs’ shortened and delayed spring 2020 meet, finishing second and then first in listed stakes. Maker then shipped Field Pass to Keeneland’s brief July meet for the Grade 3 Kentucky Utilities Transylvania Stakes for 3-year-olds on turf, and the colt tallied his second graded stakes win with a thrilling late charge, edging Street Ready by a nose.

Subsequently unplaced in the Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes, although beaten only three lengths Aug. 15, Field Pass next ran third in both the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes presented by Smithfield in September at Churchill and Grade 2 Twilight Derby in October at Santa Anita.

Field Pass halted the three-race winless stretch when he shipped north to Woodbine and returned to an all-weather surface for the Grade 3 Ontario Derby, closing powerfully from the inside for a visually impressive victory.

After three defeats to start his 4-year-old season, Field Pass returned to his home state and won the Grade 3 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup at Pimlico on July 24, 2021. Under jockey Victor Carrasco, he got through a narrow opening on the inside and surged for the victory over Ramsey Solution. After an unplaced finish in the Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap, Field Pass set the pace in the Grade 3 Knickerbocker Stakes Oct. 10 at Belmont Park and led until the final strides when he was caught by fast-closing winner Sacred Life.

Field Pass earned another graded stakes victory in exciting fashion in the Grade 3 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar on Nov. 27. Umberto Rispoli moved him three-wide towards the lead as they moved up the backstretch, and struck the front as they rounded the final turn. In the stretch, several rivals came charging at him, including odds-on favorite Sacred Life. However, Field Pass refused to let any of them by, and held on to win by a nose.