Kingsbarns ran even better than his 8-5 favoritism, crowned a 3 1/4-length winner of the Grade 3, $300,000 Ben Ali Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland.  Winner of the first three starts of his career, the last in that string the $1 million Louisiana Derby, Kingsbarns finished 14th in the 2023 Kentucky Derby, lost the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth, a race he ought to have won, and then went to the sidelines for the rest of his 3-year-old season. The colt, trainer Todd Pletcher said last week, just wasn’t training or acting like the horse he’d been in early spring and was given plenty of time to freshen up and prepare for a 4-year-old campaign.   It worked – at least at the Grade 3 level.   :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Kingsbarns returned to racing March 2 and won a Gulfstream Park allowance race at a seven-furlong distance short of his best. But even coming out of that faster paced race, Kingsbarns, who disputed a wicked tempo in the Kentucky Derby, relaxed several lengths off the lead Saturday under regular rider Luis Saez. Settling fourth in the early and middle stages as longshot Laughing Boy put up moderate splits of 24.07 and 48.57 seconds, Kingsbarns swung into action early on the Ben Ali’s second turn, following the move of second choice War Campaign, who pounced on overmatched Laughing Boy at about the three furlong marker and took the lead. War Campaign held Kingsbarns at bay in upper stretch, but Kingsbarns bore down on his outside, took the lead before the furlong grounds, and drew steadily clear under Saez’s urging.  Kingsbarns ($5.36) was timed in 1:57.74 for 1 3/16 miles on a fast track, while War Campaign was easily second best, finishing three lengths clear of the 25-1 show horse, Archie the Giza.   Smile Happy, who ran one of best dirt-route races in America last season winning the Alysheba Stakes in May, checked in a non-threatening and distant seventh in his first start since being gelded. Smile Happy had been similarly dull in two previous 2024 starts, and trainer Kenny McPeek said earlier this week the horse could be retired if he showed little spark again Saturday.  Kingsbarns was plenty bouncy. A son of Uncle Mo and Lady Tapit, by Tapit, Kingsbarns campaigns for Spendthrift Farm and was bred by Parks Investment Group. His development cut short at age 3, Kingsbarns looks like a horse who could have a productive 4-year-old season.  :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.