Big Race Recaps 2811
Race: 2811.6215 Little Guppy Classic – Grade I – $500,000
Track:
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and three eighths on the Turf
Sunnybank Memorial took care of business winning in Sunny fashion. Sunnbank was near the back early in the race sitting comfortably eleven and a half lengths off the early pace. He was unhurried along the back side while gaining ground on the pace setter. At the top of the stretch he took off like a rocket and gobbled up the long shot pace setter. He moved past winning by nearly four lengths at the wire.
Long shot Balerion ran a strong race. He jumped from the gates and was left all alone on the lead. He led by as many as seven lengths in the early stages but it was not enough to hold off Sunnybank Memorial. New Storm closed from a long way back to get third nine and three quarter lengths behind Sunnybank.
Race: 2811.0615 Fantasy Stakes – Grade II – $250,000
Track:
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old
Distance: A mile and one sixteenth on the Dirt
A.P. Sadler works the stalk and pounce to her advantage as she held off the number one ranked filly to grab the win. A.P. Sadler has finished ahead of No Apagues La Luz in her last two races now. A.P. Sadler pressed the pace this time around and around the turn for home she assumed the lead. She had an imposing three length lead entering the stretch and motored home easily holding off the favorite to win by a length and three quarters.
No Apagues La Luz got beat by another runner that ran close to the pace. That has happened to her in her last three races and has to be a concern. Coming from so far off the pace has left her a bit vulnerable but she is still closing ground and in the big race the pace could burn itself out. She ran on well for second and this is a nice prep for the Bluegrass Oaks.
Armed With Money got beat for the first time in her last four races. She regressed a bit off her huge performance in the California Oaks. Armed With Money is an even deeper closer than No Apagues La Luz but she ran on well to get third against two pretty good looking fillies.
Race: 2811.5715 Castle Point Stakes – Grade II – $250,000
Track:
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old and up
Distance: Six furlongs on the Turf
It was big run Arkansas Diamond that showed up this week and got her first graded stakes win. Arkansas Diamond broke well and stalked the early pace in about sixth. She was always within a length of the pace and as the sprinted rounded into the stretch she took off. She grabbed the lead and started to pull away.
Red Tejas was full of run today and unleashed a quick move around the turn to get into contention. She then found another gear and was eating away at Arkansas Diamons’s lead all the way through the stretch. It was all Arkansas Diamond could do to hold off Red Tejas at the wire for a quarter length win. Red Tejas was a hard luck second. Gramona stalked in mid pack and moved up in the stretch to get third nearly two lengths from the winner.
Race: 2811.4316 The South Dakota Oaks – Grade II – $250,000
Track: South Dakota
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old
Distance: One mile on the Dirt
Wally’s Dehere backs up her California Oaks performance with another 100 speed figure crushing Zytown who does not look right. Wally’s Dehere ran her race from well off the early pace. Well back with her in the early stages was Genna Lou Hoo. When Wally’s Dehere moved so did Genna Lou Hoo. The problem for Genna Lou Hoo was she could not make up any ground on Wally’s Dehere. She kept pace or slowly lost ground as the two circled the field and flew into the stretch.
Wally’s Dehere pulled away a bit in deep stretch and punches a tick to the Bluegrass Oaks with a length and a half win over Genna Lou Hoo. Groomed To Romp T was mid pack early and had the jump on the pace setters but could not hold off the top two runners. She finished third two and a quarter lengths behind the winner. Mean while the favorite of this race and a top three ranked filly Zytown turned in her second straight poor performance and if she goes to the Bluegrass Oaks she will do so in poor form.