Otto Nights Wins Dante Stakes

The final race this last Saturday in North Florida was the mile and three eighths Dante Stakes for three year olds over the turf. The weather was overcast yesterday and looked for a time as if rain might be a threat despite the early predictions of a firm turf track, however the weather held to post and the track remained free of rain. A full field of fourteen horses had drawn into the Dante Stakes this year, all waiting to give their best into the grueling race.

The gates clanged open and it was C You At The Wire (IRE), owned and trained by lawyerron, who went to an early lead of a length and a half over Izimbra, trained by gradeone. Breaking from the rail and running along in third was sunkitten trained Otto Rocky. Dueling in fourth and fifth were Otto Nights and Holdo, owned and trained by rori and layeguada respectively. Trailing the pack early in the race by nine and a half furlongs was Storm’s Fire (JPN), trained by cdragon.

C You At The Wire (IRE) lengthened his lead over Izimbra by two and a half lengths now with Otto Rocky still still running in third. Otto Nights and Holdo continued to battle in fourth and fifth but were losing ground to the front runners. seedly owned Face My Demons was beginning to make his move early and moved up into tenth with Eight Straight, trained by catahoula, just behind in eleventh. Dropping back in the field was longshot Flying A’more (IRE) and Plucky Hero, trained and owned by resting and seedly respectively, but still trailing the field, now back by fifteen and a half lengths was Storm’s Fire (JPN).

Coming into the final turn it was C You At The Wire (IRE) still in the lead by two and one-fourth lengths over Otto Nights who was quickly gaining ground under jockey P. Way. Dropping back into third was Izimbra with Otto Rocky and Holdo in fourth and fifth. Moving up into sixth was rocket23 owned favorite Whisper Softly and Eight Straight coming from far off the pace and moving up just behind in seventh. Stlcards owned Alpine Academy wasn’t moving form his hole in eighth. E Town (ENG), trained by overbrooks had begun to drop back and was now struggling in ninth with Face My Demons just behind in tenth. Finally starting to gain some ground and moving up into eleventh was Storm’s Fire (JPN). Never firing and now losing ground takebaker2 owned and trained Two Chiefs An Brom (AUS) was dropping back and now in twelfth with longshot Flying A’more (IRE) in thirteenth. Twenty-four and three-fourths lengths off the pace was Florida-bred Plucky Hero, now trailing the field turning for home.

Then the field of fourteen came thundering towards the wire and it was rori owned and trained Otto Nights to win in an upset by two and a half lengths over pace-setter C You At The Wire (IRE). Pre-race favorite Whisper Softly finished third.

Also Rans include: Eight Straight, Izimbra, Holdo, Otto Rocky, Face My Demons, Alpine Academy, E Town (ENG), Storm’s Fire (JPN), Two Chiefs An Brom (AUS), Plucky Hero, and Flying A’more (IRE).