Equinics review: SUSPECTED upsets MCGIBBLETS in SRF/BTB Writers Mile

By ITCH

Score one for the old guys.

Skunkbarn’s SUSPECTED ($14.60) was the only 6yo in the Grade I SRF/BTB Writers. He was also the only horse with a gold medal around his neck in the winner’s circle.

Facing a very tough field of 4yo- and 5yo-year-old horses, Suspected beat them all.

Breaking from post No. 6, Suspected was away alertly in second, racing in the two-path around the first turn. Down the backstretch, he kept Foozball at bay while watching Top Buzz get away to an open lead. Willfully keeping up the chase, Suspected began to draw closer to the leader at the head of the lane, and with a few hundred yards to go, was amidships. The race was on with McGibblets pressing from the outside. However, the inside two refused to yield to the great champion and fought it out to the wire. Suspected fought his heart out to get by Top Buzz and take down the top prize.

Congratulations to Skunk on the huge Equinics triumph, and to Blazing Saddles for a gold medal on an otherwise disappointing day. The BS crew could manage only a fourth-place finish in the team competition, so they’ll just have to get ’em next time.

Following are the chart notes for the remaining runners in the SRF/BTB Writers.

TOP BUZZ: This writer was dead wrong about the pace in this race. I anticipated a multi-way speed duel on the front end to set it up for the closers, but Cool K had other ideas with Top Buzz. This 4yo son of Raven’s Pass was the speed of the speed, and established position on the front end early. The horse ran huge, leading by almost three lengths at the second call and holding on resolutely in the lane. It was a winning effort denied only by the brave stretch run of the victor. But CoolK has to be proud of his horse, who defeated the favored McGibblets. The EAAA was looking golden here, but settled for silver to reward a huge race by Top Buzz.

MCGIBBLETS: It was not meant to be on this Equinics day for the great McGibblets, who was favored to win but had to settle for a disappointing bronze medal. Breaking from post No. 12, Padrebri’s 5yo bay son of Dynaformer was away in good order, but caught wide around the first turn and then pinched in the middle of a five-wide scrum down the backstretch. As great a rider as he has proven to be, F. Gossett could not overcome a tough trip in the Equinics for this great champion. At no point in the going could McGibblets relax. He was forced to run hard down the backstretch to work his way clear of that five-wide jam, then advanced into striking position while three wide on the turn for home. Gossett swung McGibblets out for the stretch drive, but there was not enough left in the tank for the burst of speed it would have taken to catch the top two.

OF WHITEHORSE: Breaking from post No. 3 next door to the speed horse in post No. 4, Of Whitehorse was away in good order and able to get over to the rail to save ground around the first turn. Early on, it became evident that Of Whitehorse was not going to get the garden trip he got in winning the Breeders Bowl Mile. A gang of horses ranged up outside coming out of the first turn, leaving Of Whitehorse with a lot more to do in the Equinics than what he faced in BB. Keeping his place on the rail, jockey J. Drozd was patient down the backstretch, then tried to mount a rally after McGibblets went by on the outside. Of Whitehorse continued willingly in the lane, passing Foozball for fourth, but was no threat to the top three.

FOOZBALL: Sledge’s 4yo son of Any Given Saturday was away alertly from post No. 11 and able to get down to the three path around the first turn. Racing just off the shoulder of the eventual winner all the way around. Foozball made his move on that one on the turn for home, but it backfired. Suspected put him away and then McGibblets went by on the outside. Foozball was a beaten horse at that point but Sledge can still be proud of a very competitive run from his horse. It was the gray Foozball who raced in company with the eventual winner throughout most of the race.

CAT’S ROAR: The apologies to the closers will have to start here to Trotter, representing ESR. This writer gave false hope to the late runners in the SRF/BTB Writers, suggesting a hot early pace would set it up for the winner to come running from the back. WRONG! Instead, Top Buzz was the speed of the speed and the pace of the race was far different than expected. Cat’s Roar, breaking from post No. 10, took all the way back to last at the beginning and dropped down to the rail to trail the field. All the way down the backstretch, jockey T. Loesch was content to remain in last. It looked like Calvin Borail must have been at the controls. Cat’s Roar did not catch a horse until halfway around the turn for home. At that point, the horse unleashed a big finish, splitting a group of three, then a group of five, then passing a solitary runner and gaining on the front group at the end. The horse made up almost 12 lengths from the second call home, but as stated, the way the race worked out did not benefit the closers. This is the one who ran best and all he could manage was sixth place.

JUST GOOD ENOUGH: How tough was the SRF/BTB Writers? Nextbonus Bill, representing Queensland, watched his 4yo brown son of Corinthian run a 111 speed figure and finish seventh. Breaking from the No. 8 post, jockey B. Scott was away in midpack, finding racing room in between two walls of horses. He was able to drop down and save ground around the first turn. At first blush, this did not look like a bad trip at all. While other horses were racing in tight company, Just Good Enough had some space to himself and was able to conserve energy along the backstretch. He started picking up horses on the turn for home, but the leading group was not coming back and Just Good Enough was only able to make a modest gain in the lane, before being caught by Cat’s Roar near the wire. Seventh place does not look like much, but Just Good Enough did not run all that bad. Here’s hoping Just Good Enough moves forward off this race, because he’s dropped all the way down to No. 144 in the division now. This horse has a ton more class than that.

KING ALONSO: This is the horse this writer really suspected was going to benefit most from a speed duel that never happened. Breaking down on the rail in post No. 1, Dixiedotco was representing the home residency of Vermont with this 4yo brown son of Street Cry. As expected, his regular rider, V. Gardner, took him back early. King Alonso was away in 12th, saving ground along the rail around the first turn. Still only 11th, behind 11 lengths at the third call, King Alonso offered only a meager rally to finish eighth, beaten eight lengths. All in all, Vermont had a very strong Equinics as a team, finishing in the Top 5 of the team event with 20 points. Well done and thanks a lot to Pastures of Green for running a wonderful event.

TEAM JOLENE: Kiddman just did not have any luck whatsoever for The Minnesota Testbarn Residency with this 4yo chestnut son of Big Brown. Nothing went his way in terms of pace or trip. In addition to being a late runner in a race that favored the front end, Team Jolene also had a tough trip, breaking wide all the way out in post No. 16 and losing ground around the first turn. Better luck next time for Team Jolene, who is likely to find better luck the next time she tries graded competition.

TEXAS ESK: I don’t guess everything could go the way of Comedy Central. While psyduck’s residency went on an uncanny hot streak to gather a mind-numbing nine points, this 4yo brown son of Eskendereya just was not in the right place in this race to join the party. Breaking from post No. 2, jockey P. Syduck saved ground while takiing Texas Esk back to 10th down the backstretch. The horse just never could make up any ground and knew the gig was up when the other closers started going by. Better days ahead for this late-running, classy horse.

EL QUERREQUERRE: This little bird is not flying right now. As with so many Triple Crown contenders over the years, the ensuing months after that arduous trail are proving difficult. It has to be painful for the great trainer Haack to watch a good horse like this struggle. In the SRF/BTB Writers, your current Florida Derby champion broke alertly to be fourth in the early going, but had lost a lot of ground while outside a group of horses around the first turn. El Querrequerre raced four wide down the backstretch, but was a beaten horse by the time they began the turn for home. He conceded position at that early stage, then struggled home from there to be a well-beaten 11th.

LATENT POISON: No luck here for Davarto with this 5yo brown son of Hard Spun. The late runner broke slowly from post No. 7, retreating all the way back to 14th down the backstretch. No rally was forthcoming. However, a celebration for the MIDAS camp certainly was as Davarto led that residency to a very strong showing in the team competition. Led by Joysis’ victory, team MIDAS had a terrific showing in the Equinics, bringing home a total of three gold medals and a total of 19 points. Great show!

CHEVELY ROAD: This 4yo bay son of Galileo failed to fire in the SRF/BTB Writers, but do you think Newmarket cared? No, he did not. He and his mates at the Universal Racing Club were too busy celebrating the victory of DALHAM HALL, who went wire-to-wire in the 3yo turf mile for fillies. “The feeling was awesome, absurd and unforgettable,” Newmarket said after winning his first Grade 1 in 5,600 races. Congratulations again to Newmarket!

SUPER SAVER BARB: Looked like the irons might have slipped for jockey D. Ledwith down the backstretch, as this 4yo dark gray son of Super Saver retreated from eight lengths back at the first call all the way back to 13 lengths in arrears at the second call. Super Saver Barb’s struggles were symbolic of a difficult day all around for the tough old gang at Del Penn.

VETRIANO: Hey, at least he beat one horse! This claimer went off as by far the longest shot in the field at 72-1, and was never in it at any point, but did manage to finish ahead of Colors of Dubawi.

COLORS OF DUBAWI: That’s how bad it was for this 4yo brown son of Dubawi. He broke wide, lost ground, then acted like he was stuck in mud the whole way around. Even as dead last in a field of 16, the horse earned a 100 speed figure.