Big Race Recaps 2762
Skills in Magic, Frost Fang and Toy Maker announce their presence to their respective divisions.
Race: 2762.3316 The Brian Classic – Grade I – $500,000
Track:
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old
Distance: A mile and three sixteenths on the Turf
Skills in Magic mowed them down in the stretch earning his first graded stakes win. He lived up to the favorite label with an impressive stretch run. Dead last early in the race Skills in Magic found himself over eleven lengths off the pace but that mattered little. Skills unleashed his move around the turn and was picking up ground quickly. He carried that momentum all the way through the stretch catching the very game Drop the Bomb (GB) in deep stretch to win by two and a quarter lengths.
Drop the Bomb (GB) made a successful three year old debut. He sat off the early pace stalking in third just a couple of lengths back. Around the turn and into the stretch he moved up and took control. He was strong on the lead running gamely but just could not hold off the favorite. Mikehusker is one of the old school trainers and is making an early bid for trainer of the year. Drop the Bomb (GB) is one of three graded placed three year olds he has in this stable.
Comiskey was a bit of a long shot here. He was well behind in the early stages and showed a good late kick following in the wake of Skills in Magic all the way through the stretch. He improved nicely this time out and could be a player in this division as the year goes on.
Race: 2762.4916 El Pato Estupuendo Especial – Grade I – $500,000
Track:
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old
Distance: A mile and one sixteenth on the Dirt
When you throw down a pace like Frost Fang did here, more times than not you end up in the winner’s circle. Frost Fang exploded from the gates and when no one opted to run with her early she made them pay. Facing the number one ranked three year old filly she needed every bit of the lead she built up to survive in the stretch.
Frost Fang established a seven and a half length lead on the field half way through the race and No Apagues La Luz was her closest competitor as she entered the stretch nine lengths in front. No Apagues La Luz launched an extremely fast move through the stretch to make it very close at the wire. Frost Fang held on by a half length in the end as No Apagues La Luz made up eight and a half lengths in the stretch.
After the top two it was a long way back to third place Street Away (IRE) who was seven lengths behind the winner.
Race: 2762.0213 Glenn Handicap – Grade I – $500,000
Track:
Restrictions: All horses, 4 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one eighth on the Dirt
This race turned out to be a bit of a shocker as long shots finished in the top three spots. Please welcome Toy Maker to the older handicap horse scene. Toy Maker ran a brilliant race winning by a half a length. In the early stages Toy Maker stalked in third. As the runners rounded the turn for home Toy Maker took the lead with Squal Me Halo in close attention. I kept looking back seeing where some of these big name runners were expecting someone to come flying.
You look back to the front and think wow Toy Maker is moving powerfully and here comes Sensationalize. Toy Maker remained strong through the stretch running a very fast 111- speed figure. Sensationalize flashed signs of brilliance as a three year old placing in some key Bluegrass Derby preps but ultimately never came through. Now he is looking like he is getting better with age. He closed very strongly and ran his best race since this time last year finishing just a half length back for the place. Still needs to break through with a win though.
It was another four lengths back to the third place finisher Crafty Victory. Crafty Victory was a grade II winner at three and made it to the Bluegrass Derby where he finished eleventh. He would go on to run some nice races over the summer at the grade II level but had tailed off at the end of the year. He rebounded nicely this week closing from off the pace to get the show.