Big Race Recap 3224

Two surprises rule the day. Awesome Force was the favorite but after his Derby run it had to be a surprise to most he was so good today. On the filly side of things it was the big long shot Katherineofaragon winning with authority.  

Race: 3224.0815 Middle Jewel Stakes – Grade I – $1,000,000
Track: Maryland
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old
Distance: A mile and three sixteenths on the Dirt

Awesome Force lives up to his favorite status and after running poorly in the Derby rebounds and runs a big one when it counts. Awesome Force was discounted by me in the preview. It was hard to fathom a horse that finished tenth nine and a half lengths behind the winner last time out would turn it around in this fashion. Boy did he ever turn it around.

Ataun was looking to take the second leg of the triple and was in very good position to do just that. Atuan was mid pack in the early stages of the race about nine lengths off the early pace. He moved up through the field and was fourth at the top of the stretch still more than five lengths off the pace. Ataun was closing ground and quickly looking strong and then in a flash you see Awesome Force moving.

Awesome Force was dead last early more than thirteen lengths off the early pace. A fire was lit under his hooves as he cranked up a huge run around the turn and was flying though the stretch. He blew by Ataun before Ataun even got to the pace setter. He blew by the pace setter and pulled away to win by a length and three quarters. Ataun was second best today no being able to keep pace with Awesome Force. The speed figures took a big jump up as Awesome Force earned a 109 speed figure.

The race for third turned out to be pretty interesting. Peppet and the filly All The Riches could only be separated by a photo in the end. Peppet was ninth early less than ten lengths off the pace while All The Riches was further back in next to last thirteen lengths off the pace. All The Riches was full of run and un afraid of her male rivals driving all the way to the wire. Neither runner could keep up with the winner but both were finishing string. Peppet just held off the filly to get the nod in the photo finish but what a run by the filly.

Race: 3224.0814 Black Middle Flower Stk – Grade I – $500,000
Track: Maryland
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old
Distance: A mile and one eighth on the Dirt

The second to longest shot in the field pulls the shocker winning with authority at seventeen to one. Katherineofaragon is finally living up to the promise she showed as a two year old. She earned her way to the big three year old filly races with a win in the G1 Movieland Starlet. We should have paid attention when at forty-one to one odds she ran a pretty good fourth in the Bluegrass Oaks. She got a good stalking position in the early stages of the race sitting four and a half lengths off the early pace in fourth. She made her bid around the turn for home and has only a half length off the pace setter entering the stretch. From there Katherineofaragon powered home, never threatened expanding her lead to two and a quarter lengths at the wire. A very impressive win for long shot Katherineofaragon.

Fortheloveofgodben  finished out the longest name combination for an exacta in sim history. Fortheloveofgodben was not ready for the Bluegrass Oaks after winning the G3 Jockey Guild Stakes prior to that race so she aimed for the second leg in the triple tiara. That strategy paid off as Fortheloveofgodben found her self toward the back of the pack in the early stages although not far off the pace only six and a half lengths back. She moved ok around the turn and really moved past her rivals through the stretch but did not have enough to threaten our winner finishing second a half length in front of the third place finisher.

Saujon was another runner here that did not run in the Bluegrass Oaks last time out. She earned her way here with a pair of listed stakes wins and made the most of the chance. Saujon was ninth early a little less than six lengths behind the pace. She made a quick move into contention around the turn for home but could not keep pace when the winner took control of the pace. She was running well not really losing much ground and she would pass a couple more rivals to earn third two and three quarters lengths behind the winner.

The winner of the Bluegrass Oaks, Love Never Die, just never got going in the race today. The second place finisher in the Oaks went on to finish fourth against the Boys in the Middle Jewel a race later. Zaralanna the third place finisher in the Bluegrass Oaks has yet to make a start since that race.