Big Race Recap 3203

After Kingab and Mike painted the target on Casterly Rock’s back he got upset. Derockery establishes herself as a top three year old filly long distance runner, while Seeking Sal wins again. Oh yea Strong Belwas moves into the upper echelon of the older male long distance turf runners.

Race: 3203.5415 Sydney Oaks – Grade I – $750,000
Track: New South Wales
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old
Distance: A mile and one half on the Turf

Derockery (IRE) proves she has the stamina and wins her first G1 race. Her pedigree might not be that of mile and a half runners but it works for her. Derockery was tenth early on in the race but not too far off the early pace less than six lengths back. She moved up slowly around the turn for home and really turned it on in the stretch catching the long shot pace setter Ghosthorse in mid stretch. From there she pulled away to a three length win looking very impressive.

Ghosthorse was 23/1 when the gates opened and shot to the lead. Shot may be an over statement, she casually strolled along and found her self setting the pace. She slowed things down under mild pressure and when asked she responded. She slipped away from the field taking a two and a half length lead into the stretch. She just ran out of gas in deep stretch but held on to second by more than a length.

Tara stalked the early pace from fifth position not far off at all. Tara picked up the chase from the half way point moving to second and slowly gaining on the pace setter. When she entered the stretch she could not muster a bigger kick and slowly made up ground on the pace setter but could not respond when Dockery went by and was unable to get to the pace setter by the wire. Tara settled for third four and a quarter lengths behind the winner.  

Race: 3203.5115 Ethereal…Unreal…Spiritual – Grade I – $500,000
Track: Dubai
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: Six furlongs on the Dirt

Polish Reality broke well from the gates and made them pay taking down Casterly Rock. When the gates opened everyone knew Polish Reality would go to the lead. The surprising thing was no one really went with him. He does such a great job of shaking clear at the top of the stretch and today was no different as he had a two and a quarter length lead at the top of the stretch. He needed every bit of that lead as he was all out to the wire just holding off the fast closing Deligence.

Deligence stalked the early pace from fourth less than three lengths off the pace of Polish Reality. As the runners entered the stretch he found another gear and started to eat into Polish Reality’s lead. He looked like he had the momentum and just kept gaining ground through the stretch. It set up for a fantastic finish but Deligence just came up short to Polish Reality settling for second.

Dixie Glow was next to last early more than ten lengths off the early pace. As Polish Reality ran this field off their feet Dixie Glow was patient in the back of the pack. He waited till the stretch and made his move. He made up a bunch of ground and passed his tiring rivals getting up for third two and three quarters lengths behind the winner.  

Race: 3203.5315 All Comers Stakes – Grade I – $400,000
Track: Victoria
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: One mile on the Turf

Seeking Sal finds his way back to the winners circle with another impressive win. Sal was in a familiar stalking position in the early stages sitting sixth a little under seven lengths off the early pace. At the half way point he moved up in the field gaining a good striking position and in the stretch he kicked into high gear and away from this field as he powered away to a two and a quarter length victory. This was Seeking Sal’s eighth career G1 win.

Blessed Road found himself near the back of the pack in the early stages. He was more than eleven lengths off the early pace. Blessed Road had not hit the board in a graded race since he was two. Now at age four he has closed his way to another graded placing. At the half way point he moved up and really kicked home well in the stretch although he never threatened the winner finishing two and a quarter lengths back.

Mcnaughty’s Bat stalked the early pace just ahead of Seeking Sal. He had the jump on the favorite moving up to third not too far off the lead at the top of the stretch. He did not have enough in the tank to hold off Seeking Sal and got caught late by Blessed Road settling for third three lengths off the pace.  

Race: 3203.5116 Fat Man’s Revenge  – Grade I – $500,000
Track: Dubai
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and three eighths on the Turf

This one was easy to predict in the preview but say hello to a runner that is going to be a force in this division. Strong Belwas was very strong on the lead and no slouch posting a 108 speed figure. He went to the lead early and built a three and three quarter length lead entering the stretch.

That is where Jumpin Java picked up the chase in second. Although he was three and three quarter lengths behind he was making up ground. Java really started to dig into the lead of Strong Belwas. By mid stretch he looked like a real danger forcing Strong Belwas to dig in. Strong Belwas out lasted Jumpin Java in deep stretch to win by three quarters of a lengths.

Green Valley was toward the back early more than twelve lengths off the early pace. While he did not make a big run by the top of the stretch he had lost some ground on Strong Belwas but had moved from seventh to fourth. He would make up a little ground in the stretch finishing third nine lengths off the pace.