Air Support wins Transylvania Stakes by a nose

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Air Support helped kick off Keeneland's 75th anniversary celebration in exciting fashion when he made a late push and edged Great Mills by a nose to win the Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes on Friday.

Air Support had not raced since finishing ninth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf last November.

``My horse settled pretty well, and it seemed like they were going pretty fast up front,'' said the 3-year-old colt's jockey, Rajiv Maragh. ``I felt like I had won it, but until they post the number you aren't 100 percent sure. I really thought I did get there.''

Great Mills set swift fractions and led for the majority of the 1 1-16 miles on turf before being caught at the wire.

Air Support finished with a time of 1:41.99 and paid $23.20, $10.60 and $6.40. Great Mills returned $7.80 and $4.80. Adirondack Summer was a neck back in third and paid $3.40.

Pluck, who won the Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, was the race favorite but finished a disappointing seventh in a field of nine.

As a 2-year-old, Air Support defeated current Kentucky Derby hopeful Soldat in the Grade 3 Pilgrim Stakes. The homebred colt has now won three of six lifetime starts and has earnings of $187,100.

``He trained well in Florida this winter and I thought, 'Well, I'll take a look (at Transylvania),''' said Shug McGaughey, who trains Air Support for Stuart Janney III. ``His breeze down there last Sunday before he left (for Keeneland) was very good, so we decided to take a chance.''

Keeneland's opening day drew 22,747 people. The spring meet runs through April 29.