INSIDE OR OUT wires Confederate Stakes
By ITCH
Knightmare’s INSIDE OR OUT ($24.30) wired the field in the Grade 2 Confederate Stakes, the race immediately following the Middle Jewel on Saturday in Maryland.
A 4yo brown son of Kingmambo, Inside Or Out took command right away in the nine-furlong turf test, building a big lonely lead. He worked hard late to hold off ONTARIO LIGHT, and made his pace advantage pay off. With the victory, Inside Or Out rises only to No. 110 in the division, another piece of evidence as to how soft this Grade 2 came up.
Extra credit goes to both of the top two finishers, considering the length of ground back to the third-place runner. Inside or Out lasted to finish half a length in front of Ontario Light, who was four lengths clear of GOLOHNRO.
INSIDE OR OUT: Away alertly to break to a clear advantage. Raced as a lonely leader, padding his advantage as he went. The lead grew to its largest point at 3 1/2 lengths. Looked like that big advantage might melt away when Ontario Light came running at him, but he had enough to hold off the challenge. Powerful frontrunning victory.
ONTARIO LIGHT: Broke about midpack in sixth, conserved energy while getting a good trip in open track. Burst through a wall of horses on the turn for home and became the only threat to the winner. Chased that one home with energy to finish well clear of the third-place horse.
GOLOHNRO: Broke very slowly to be dead last of 11 out of the gate. Retreated amidships with Waki’s AP. Drifted as far back as 12 lengths before he started to pick up horses. Accelerated with a late kick to just get the show money outside two other runners.
HAACK’S BREAKER: Away slowly, only outbreaking two horses in the field. Taken back before passing Columbia Valley and commencing a rally. Raced a couple of lengths clear of the eventual third-place runner, Golohnro. Closed strongly to catch Point Driven and would have been third if not caught by Golohnro.
POINT DRIVEN: Away in good order to be clear of every horse in the field except for the lonely leader. Assumed a difficult trip as first chaser. Got more than two lengths clear of the third runner at one point but then fell victim to his trip, failing to catch the leader and serving as a sitting duck to the closers. Tried to fight on but got caught by two closers for the show money and had to settle for a disappointing fifth.
WAKI’S AP: Walked out of there and retreated to the back amidships with Golohnro. Fell far back, trailing by 12 lengths at one point. Tried to commence a rally but could not keep up with eventual third-place runner Golohnro. Mild rally to make up five lengths but no threat to hit the board.
VIK: Away in decent shape to be fourth and then third down on the rail early, but had no response when eventual second-place runner Ontario Light went by at the midway point. Had no rally and faded back through the field in the late stages of the race.
WALL STREET GHOST: Forgive Dixie if Wall Street Ghost’s defeat barely registered on his Sim psyche. He was too busy jumping up and down stiff-legged in celebration of the gigantic victory by his filly FINAL EXIT in the Middle Jewel. Congratulations to the Grand Daddy of All Sim Trainers!
IT’S PERSONAL NOW: For another reason, forgive Willyam if he was not too concerned by the disappointing run of It’s Personal Now. He’s got a bigger problem. BB Classic winner TWIST TWIST struggled home last elsewhere on the Maryland card, in the Grade 3 Billy Donald. Good luck to a high-class trainer as he tries to figure out how to fix a champion horse.
PHANTASEA: Away in good order to be third, but it wasn’t long before his feet started to slip under him. Just never was able to travel very well at all and lost ground throughout. This was a very strange result to see the top two qualifiers in this race finish next-to-last and last.
COLUMBIA VALLEY: Like others in here, the Super Stables had bigger fish to fry on the Maryland card with RAS EL HANOUT in the Middle Jewel, but the best that one could do was third. Once again, there will be no Triple Crown winner in Sim racing.