Big Race Recaps 2748

A huge weekend for potential 2006 sim racing stars. Thirteenth Date, Speightful, and Wisdom Tooth (IRE) all took big steps forward and have served notice to their respectful divisions.  

Race: 2748.5415 Sexy Muffins Classic – Grade I – $500,000
Track: New South Wales
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 4 years old and up
Distance: One mile on the Turf

Thirteenth Date has officially arrived. She was well accomplished before this race but this is the type of victory that moved her to the top of her class. She looked like the up and comer in the preview and she strutted her stuff against some pretty classy older runners.

Gold Forest threw down the pace today moving fast and opening up a couple of lengths on the field in the early stages. There were a host of stalkers behind the pace that included Alberta Gold and Riverboat Queen. Mean while Thirteenth Date was sitting mid pack a little less than ten lengths back. Gold Forest took them around the far turn and into the stretch. Alberta Gold and Riverboat Queen were making up ground on the pace setter into the stretch.

Thirteenth Date was hitting high gear at the top of the stretch just flying by runners. In mid stretch the Gold Forest was running out of gas as Alberta Gold and Riverboat Queen came too her at about the same time that Thirteenth Date came flying by striking the front. She drew off in the final yards for a length and three quarter win over Alberta Gold. Riverboat Queen finished third with Gold Forest holding fourth.

Race: 2748.1515 Fainting Goat Nightmares Stakes – Grade I – $450,000
Track: Arizona
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old
Distance: One mile on the Turf

Speightful finally breaks through and gets a graded win. In the preview this field was difficult to separate but in hind sight Speightful was the most accomplished runner in the field and a multiple winner at the distance. He had not faired well in his three other graded tries but none were at this distance. This win stamps him as a Guineas contender.

Speightful used a mid pack stalking trip to get the victory. The pace was a little soft so Speightful stayed closer to the pace. He made a steady advance in the final half mile moving strongly through the stretch to win by a length and three quarters to Swift Drift. Swift Drift was one of the favorites here as well and continued his nice streak of top two finishes. He stalked the pace from fourth and engaged the pace setter about the same time Speightful did. He could not match Speightful in deep stretch leveling off a bit.

Honeyimhome made a strong closing run down the outside of the course to get into a photo finish for the place. He was just nosed out and settled for the show. Sharks Indigo ran a solid race to finish fourth.  

Race: 2748.6815 Wicker Sofa Stakes – Grade II – $225,000
Track: Taiwan
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: Six furlongs on the Dirt

Da Dentist takes advantage of the fast pace and closes strongly to win by nearly two lengths. The favorite was Atakachaw and he was expected to set the pace but it was Kung Fu that burst from the gates and put his nose in front most of the way. The pace was brutal as these two speed demons turned up the heat.

In the stretch Da Dentist edged clear of Atakachaw. The pace took its toll on Atakachaw as he would fade to finish fifth. Da Dentist meanwhile was closing extremely fast and blew by the tiring pace setters in deep stretch. Despite the brutal pace Kung Fu held second. Sherbet Dip stalked the early pace and though weary in the stretch ran well enough to earn the show. American Pride II made a good closing move to get into contention late finishing fourth.    

Race: 2748.2115 Toilet Scrubbers Anonymous Handicap – Grade II – $250,000
Track: Michigan
Restrictions: All horses, 4 years old and up
Distance: A mile and three sixteenths on the Dirt

Wisdom Tooth (IRE) runs his win streak to eight in a row. He could very well be one of the top older handicap horses this upcoming year with eight wins in eleven starts to begin his career. He was never very far off the pace here staying closer than usual but responded well running down the pace setter in the stretch for a length and a quarter win.

Old Pulpit followed Wisdom Tooth (IRE) from start to finish. He was just behind Wisdom Tooth (IRE) early on and moved with him past traffic into the stretch. He just could not match Wisdom Tooth (IRE) in the stretch. Old Pulpit barely got the nose in front of Set Me At Ease (IRE) on the wire.