Perez Prado, Adjuge Finish 1-2 In Bourbon Mile

The front-end speed of the gazelle-like Perez Prado versus the late-closing freight train style of Adjudge.

It’s something we should get used to seeing this year in the Mile Turf Division graded races, because when these two hook up, you know it‘s going to be a tight finish.

Perez Prado prevailed–again–this weekend, when he scored big in the Grade 2 Bourbon Mile, and he did it with a 116 speed figure. And Adjudge, well, he came up just shy, about ½ a length, to be exact, running a 115 speed figure.

That speed figure from Perez Prado, well, that’s more like the Perez Prado we knew last year, the one who copped a monster 123 speed figure in winning the Grade 1 Maudlin Cup in Paris.

The five year old son of Kingmambo did it the same way in Eastern Kentucky this weekend that he did it in Paris last year, beating the same horse he beat last year, Adjudge. Once again, it came down to a fight at the wire, and another close finish–a relationship that Perez Prado and Adjudge are becoming accustomed to, and one that is developing into a huge rivalry in these mile turf races. It’s a rivalry that’s definitely becoming fun to watch.

While the crowd in Eastern Kentucky were mainly there to see the big Derby Lock Prep race, what was sort of lost in the shuffle was this rematch between Perez Prado and Adjudge in the $250,000 Grade 2 Bourbon Mile on the turf, the biggest race by far on the under card this weekend in Eastern Kentucky.

The people on hand were on their feet, anxiously awaiting the rematch between the two turf miler monsters, the same horses who had run 1-2 last year in Paris and thrown 123 and 122 speed figures in that Grade 1 Maudlin Cup in Paris.

Just as they did last year in Paris, the two beasts of the turf didn’t fail to disappoint their American viewers this year.

Perez Prado blasted out of the starting gates this weekend, the way he’s used to doing it. With tons of speed.

And he did it with some blazing fractions. He rolled out fractions of 45.37 for the four furlongs, 56.80 for the five furlongs, 1:08.23 for the six furlongs and 1:20.92 for the seven furlongs. On the front end. It was a speed merchant’s dream. And Adjudge’s nightmare.

But Adjudge hung tough, in second place all the way, unlike last year in Paris when Adjudge had to come from the back of the pack, picking off horses one by one, only to miss by ¾ of a length last year.

This year, Adjudge would do it differently. He would lay closer to Perez Prado and avoid all those pesky other horses and the possible traffic problems that would come with closing from the back of the pack.

Adjudge gave himself a much better chance of winning by staying close this year in the Grade 2 Bourbon Mile, and he did only lose by ½ a length this time. But the result was still the same at the finish.

First, Perez Prado. Second, Adjudge.

For the record, A Royal Spin finished third. He was sort of lost in all the pre-race hoopla regarding Perez Prado and Adjudge, but the Australian-bred A Royal Spin ran a monster of a race in finishing third, beaten just ¾ of a length. He also popped a 115 speed figure this weekend in the Bourbon Mile. A Royal Spin roared from mid-pack, about six lengths off the lead. He’s going to be another one to be reckoned with this year in the mile turf division.

Wartime Exile, the South African-bred finished fourth 4 ¾ lengths back, while Paperboy finished fifth, beaten 6 ¾ lengths.

While Perez Prado won his first graded start of 2012, his owner, Iant, is a bit worried about his consistency.

“His main problem is he doesn’t run the same race twice in a row,” said Iant. “But on his day, at eight furlongs, nothing can beat him.”

Iant said he would rest the five year old son of Kingmambo for six weeks. “I’ll probably target him for the big race in California.”

Iant was referring to the $300,000 Grade 1 Cobbler Mile in California on May 26. American fans on the West Coast can now look forward to Perez Prado probably being the featured horse in their big mile turf race toward the end of May.

Perez Prado finished the mile in 1:33 3/5 this weekend, not quite a Bourbon Mile stakes record, but very close. It was just 2/5 of a second off the stakes record set last year by Tonguska.

Perez Prado paid $7.50, $4.30, and $2.70 across the board to his backers, while the 9-3 exacta with Adjudge paid $28.40. The 9-3-6 trifecta with A Royal Spin third paid $154.00.