FRANKLIN – Julio Garcia grinned broadly as he strolled out of the paddock at Kentucky Downs on Saturday.

“Easy money,” the veteran jockey from Puerto Rico pronounced after riding the 4-year-old colt Bound for Nowhere to a one-length win in the $750,000 Tourist Mile Stakes.

Garcia did his part to make that so, finding plenty of space in the seven-horse field to comfortably sit just off the lead until he judged it just the right time to bid for the front entering the stretch.

The Kentucky-bred Bound for Nowhere ran comfortably as if encased in a protective bubble, smoothly firing forward to catch leader Great Wide Open in the stretch and draw ahead to win by a length in 1 minute, 40.97 seconds.

Wesley Ward, who owns and trains Bound for Nowhere, said the track conditions set up just right for Garcia’s patient approach.

“The speed’s good today, it’s hot and the ground’s firm,” Ward said. “He was able to track someone. When he needed to go, he went before everybody else.”

Ward, based in Keeneland, has had plenty of success on the rolling turf of Kentucky Downs. A three-time training champion at the track, Ward picked the Franklin track to stretch out Bound for Nowhere to the mile distance for the first time. So fresh off a third-place showing at the Royal Ascot Group 1 Diamond Jubilee in England, the bay colt tackled the longer distance Saturday.

“I’ve always wanted to stretch him out, always thought he was a miler,” Ward said. “He’s a big colt, rangy guy, got big airway, has no issues, no problems. It’s just he’s so good at sprinting. When he ran at Ascot and ran so well, this was the race we were pointing for all along.

“But the closer we got to it, the more I was second-guessing where I would go. But thanks to Julio and the team I have, we all got together and made a decision and it turned out right.”

Going off as the second choice behind favored Mr. Misunderstood, who finished third under jockey Florent Geroux, Bound for Nowhere rewarded Ward’s confidence with a sizable payoff.

“My son called me from the University of Miami,” Ward said. “He’s on a full-ride scholarship from the Bank of Dad. So I said he’s good again for next year.”

Irish-bred Great Wide Open, with jockey James Graham aboard, held on for second.

Jockey Julien Leparoux had a profitable day at the track, winning three races including the $400,000 Exacta Systems Juvenile Fillies Stakes aboard 2-year-old Miss Technicality.

Trained by Christophe Clement for owners John McCormick and Namcook Stables, the favored Miss Technicality withstood a bump at the start and settled comfortably tracking the leaders just off the pace. When Leparoux asked for more, he got it as the chestnut filly swept outside three wide and took control in the stretch for a six-length win in 1:43.51 over the mile distance.

“She won very easy. She traveled very good,” Leparoux said. “It was just whenever I wanted to ask her, and she kicked on very nicely. Which is a good feeling to have on this track.”

In the $400,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Stakes, jockey Tyler Gaffalione took a chance that a hole would open up along the rail for favorite Henley’s Joy. It took awhile to develop, but in the end Gaffalione said “we got lucky.”

When that gap did materialize, the 2-year-old colt trained by Mike Maker for owner Bloom Racing Stable shot toward the front alongside runner-up Tracksmith to chase down leader Dragic for a duel down the stretch. Henley’s Joy prevailed by a head, winning the mile race in 1:43.33.

“I was hoping he’d go outside, but anyway it worked out – so no complaints,” Maker said.

Geroux scored the win in the $250,000 One Dreamer Stakes aboard favored On Leave for trainer Shug McGaughey and owner Stuart S. Janney, III. The 5-year-old gray mare covered the distance of one mile and seventy yards in 1:45.79.

{span}”She hasn’t won a race since December, so hopefully this gets her confidence going again,” Geroux said. “Now we can maybe take a shot against the big girls again.”{/span}

{span}Racing continues Thursday at Kentucky Downs with the second full card of the five-day meet. Post time for the first race is 1:25 p.m.{/span}{&end}