Bumped and forced into another at the start, HAKAMA was 14 lengths behind the leaders going down the backstretch in the 1 1/8-mile $500,000 Illinois Derby-G3 at Hawthorne. After being fanned seven wide into upper stretch, this 3-year-old colt by FIRST SAMURAI exchanged repeated contact with another down the lane but continued to close with earnest to place in this Kentucky Derby prep. His first graded stakes placing, HAKAMA was just nipped at the wire in the Private Terms S. in his previous start. He has now won or placed in six of seven starts racing for Harry C. and Tom O. Meyerhoff.
