Equinics Colonial Downs (turf) 9 Furlongs
In my Race Preview for the $1 million Grade-1 Colonial Downs 3 year old filly/mare contest at 9 furlongs on the beautiful Berkshire Turf Course. I made the case for favoritism being awarded to one of the 4 top 25 rated runners in the field. It wasn’t because I didn’t think trainer Urcres1’s filly Prabhu Deva wasn’t a really good runner, who showed first class upper division potential. It’s just that I felt that Trainer Tetsch’s # 3 ranked Tom And Pap 7-1, Trainer Jetair’s # 5 ranked Quality Buzz 6-1, Trainer Provolone’s # 9 ranked Dancer Impactus 9-1 and Trainer Correction’s # 25 ranked filly Mercato 9-1, all had more credentials, especially competing at the upper level Stake’s, than Prabhu Deva. Horseracing can be humbling, especially to those who make bold statements of fact, but in this case I proved correct. Jetair’s Quality Buzz launched a perfectly timed stretch rally to overtake the early leaders and then had to hold off the “furious” late stretch rally of Correction’s Mercato who was at her hind flanks at the wire.
Aussloth’s filly Jagged Lil Pill controlled the early pace thru 2 furlongs, her time at the quarter pole was an honest but certainly manageable 23:88. On her heels 1 length behind applying modest pressure were Dansili’s filly Drinkin Money and Icbomber2’s filly The Flying Wolf. Then came Mr. Kyle’s filly Nothingisthesame and Bhima2’s CK Roc Of Ages. Next came the favorite Prabhu Deva, who stalked the leaders in 6th position on the rail, a comfortable 3 lengths behind Jagged Lil Pill. Meanwhile grouped 5 to 7 lengths behind the leader was Sheen’s filly Magic Moon, Quality Buzz, who was being reserved in a firm grip by Jockey J. Stivers, Tetsch’s filly Tom And Pap. Mercato in 13th position, was saving ground ½ length behind this pack of runners.
Not much changed in the next 2 furlongs, Jagged Lil Pill went the ½ mile in a comfortable 48:12. It was apparent that several of the runners were beginning to struggle, Emerald1’s Saltaire Bronze was already beginning to retreat dropping 3 positions from 9th to 12th, Provolone’s Dancer Impractus, thought to be a contender was struggling in 15th and Mayhem’s Harby Wallbanger was alone in dead last, already with 15 ½ lengths to make up.
It was between 6 and 7 furlong markers entering the stretch run, that the complection of the race began to change and the chase to the wire began in earnest. Jagged Lil Pill was all out to hold the lead as The Flying Wolf desperately tried to run her down. Just 1 ½ lengths behind the top pair, Quality Buzz threw it into high gear and was obviously quickly cutting into the lead margin. Prabhu Deva moved into 4th passing a now fading Drinkin Money and loomed boldly, maybe he was ready for this level after all, just to his inside Mercato was quickly moving up the rail to challenge and Tom and Pap was also trying to rally and join the lead group. A bit farther back Whobegoto’s filly De Babe was frantically passing horses and trying to start a belated stretch rally but still had 10 lengths to overcome.
In mid stretch, Quality Buzz overhauled the dueling duo, Jagged Lil Pill and The Flying Wolf, who despite trying everything just couldn’t get past Jagged Lil Pill’s hind flank. Mercato was really flying up the rail trying to make up the last length on the battling pair and take one last crack at catching Quality Buzz. These four slugged it out to the wire with Quality Buzz holding off Mercado by a rapidly diminishing ¾ length and Jagged Lil Pill taking 3rd by a short ½ length over a “never say die”, The Flying Wolf. They were followed by a 3 way photo for 5th, with Tom And Pap, catching the slightly fading Prabhu Deva, who held off the late charging De Babe, in a photo for 6th.
Race Comments: (in order of finish)
QUALITY BUZZ: perfectly timed move by Jockey J Stivers, all out to win in a lifetime best 112 speed rating. Fast rise up 3 year old Classic Turf filly Division.
MERCATO: saved ground on rail early and made a huge stretch move that just fell short, now a bona fide Grade-1 threat.
JAGGED LIL PILL: extremely game, gutty effort by early leader, ran her hardest wire to wire. Well earned show effort.
THE FLYING WOLF: doggedly pursued Jagged Lil Pill but never quite caught her. Honest hard knocking effort shows she can compete with Grade-1 elite.
TOM AND PAP: reserved early, moved into contention at 6 furlong marker but couldn’t sustain rally and settled for respectable 5th place finish.
PRABHU DEVA: even effort, minor move entering stretch, loomed boldly in 4th. Flattened out in stretch, moderate fade to surrender 5th at wire, should move forward off decent effort.
DE BABE: 14th at 4 furlong call, conceded 12 ¾ lengths to leaders. Furious stretch rally but simply was too little too late.
DRIKIN MONEY: pressed leader early in 2nd, still loomed prominent at 6 furlong marker. Moderate stretch fade compromised otherwise decent effort.
MAGIC MOON: raced evenly mid pack, never prominent or threatened lead group. Moderate stretch fade.
INSTANT OFFENSE: raced evenly mid pack, never prominent, no response when asked to run entering stretch.
CK ROC OF AGES: pressed early leaders in 5th, moved up to 4th at 4 furlongs but then slow steady fade, dry stretch run.
TAKINITTOTHESTREET: raced evenly mid pack, never prominent, finished by the stretch, steady fade.
DANCER IMPACTUS: slow start, and never got into flow of race, disappointing race, already a steady fade after 2 furlongs.
NOTHINGISTHESAME: was 4th early, tail end of early speed leaders, was out of it by 6 furlongs, faded badly in stretch.
HARBY WALLBANGER: stumbled at gate and broke last, already trailed by 10 lengths at 2 furlongs, dull effort, never a threat.
SALTIRE BRONZE: mid pack early, stayed with pace through 4 furlongs, but badly tired from effort and faded badly to last place finish.