PEARL RICK Special Stakes
The early speed could not sustain today, with closers taking the top three positions in today’s $45,000 PEARL RICK Special in South Dakota.
Consistent with his late closing style, TEXAS FLOOD sat back comfortably in sixth until jockey F Leghorn asked for more. He responded willingly coming out of the far turn, moving to the lead along with END OF TUNNEL, then holding off the latter by ½ length for the win. END OF TUNNEL began his run earlier and closed equally as well, but just couldn’t get around the winner at the line. EXCLUSIVE REASON tried to go with the top two, but didn’t have enough and finished a game third in his first try at the stakes level. DYNACITY set the early pace, leading by over two lengths down the backstretch, but couldn’t hold and faded to fourth. After trailing the leader in second until the far corner, CHEVAL POINT faded as well to fifth, just ahead of UNBREAKABLE. WHY MARRY was never a factor and finished 23 lengths back.
TEXAS FLOOD’s winning time of 1:56 4/5 earned him a lifetime best SP of 91. The 3-year-old colt sired by RAINBOW QUEST earned his first lifetime stakes win and has now won over $100,000 for owner fleet1.
Next week South Dakota will offer one of its largest purses of the year with the 8th running of the $250,000 Pea Shooter Handicap (GII) for 3 year old colts going 6 furlongs on the dirt.