Delaware Strange Brew Tastes Good to Seeking Sal
The eighth running of the $100,000 Grade 3 Strange Brew Turf Handicap turned into a romp as Seeking Sal took over at the top of the stretch and drew off for a four length victory. Seeking Sal finished the mile and one eighth race in a time of 148.1 and earned a 106 speed figure. Said jockey H Ross, a winner of five races today, after the race, “This is the perfect end to a great day. I knew when we were on the backstretch that Seeking Sal was feeling real good and that I had plenty of horse under me. We were caught wide on the first turn but that didn’t matter. As we drew off in the stretch I had to ease up on the horse as he wanted to keep going. This was definitely the best horse today.”
As expected grimmy’s Z Dancer went for the lead, but could not hold it as he felt pressure from redback’s Cry of the Fox. Seeking Sal held back in third and fourth place until the stretch drive when he found another gear for the victory. Z Dancer faded to sixth and Cry of the Fox finished third. Lostcode’s Higher Love had a strong stretch drive to best the others and finish second. Last year’s Strange Brew winner Lyric Poet faded and finished last in the field of nine.
Owner/trainer Keryn was thrilled with Seeding Sal’s victory. “We had been so close the past couple of races but just not able to get to the winner’s circle. This time good ol’ Sal came though. He’s earned an extra treat in his dinner tonight.”
In other news from the 2741 card at Delaware:
Jockey B Ironside won first two races on card and four races total. Despite that big day he was upstaged by jockey H Ross who ended up with five winners on the card.
Dailyracin’s Fusaichi Secret raced impressively in the fifth race, an allowance event for non winners of four races lifetime. In the 7.5 furlong dirt sprint he ran close to the lead or on the lead throughout the race and coasted to a 1 and ¼ victory. He posted a 104 sp.
In the seventh race 3/5 favorite Wylde Cat could not hold off the stretch rush of bobbyjo’s Bobfly’s Spur. Zewango3’s Wylde Cat had a five length lead heading into the stretch but Bobfly’s Spur went from last to first to win by 2 lengths. Bobfly’s Spur, a 3yo by Flying Spur(AUS), finished with a 86 speed figure.
In the ninth race Danzig with Buda stalked the pace in third, made his move approaching the stretch and pulled away with an increasing 2.5 length victory. Juju’s 5yo horse, danzig x nijinski ii x nureyev, won the 7.5 furlong dirt race with a 93 sp.
In the thirteenth race alrains’ Al’s Crying caught piccolo87’s Whirling Thunder close to the inside the sixteenth pole to win by ¾ length. The win by Al’s Crying ended Whirling Thunder’s two race Delaware winning streak. Whirling Thunder took the lead from the gate but did not have enough to hold off the hard charging Al’s Crying. Third place Carson Hollandia finished over 16 lengths behind the winner.