Big Race Recap 3231

For the boys the favorites ruled the day and for the ladies it was upset city. If you did not think Strong Belwas was a top long distance turf horse before this week better take a long look at him now. The fillies ran a super fast race as Big Ugly upsets a good field of fillies. Finally Festive Fifty was just too good winning the Cosmopolitan Mile in very impressive fashion.   

Race: 3231.0115 Movieland Turf Cup – Grade I – $400,000
Track: California
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one quarter on the Turf

Strong Belwas continues his rise as a top long distance turf runner. This makes back to back grade one wins for him, his only loss of the year coming the Horseshoe Bay at the Sand Castle Golden Turf Classic. He is a front runner and got rolling early in this race. He stepped away from the gates and established a clear early lead. By the half way point he was four and a half lengths clear and he took an eight and a half length lead into the stretch. From there he was on cruise control winning by a length and a half.

Creepshow appears to have taken that all important step forward as a four year old after running well early as a three year old. Creepshow was sitting in third position early however he was well off the early pace sitting more than ten lengths off the pace setter at the half way point. He was not able to cut too deep into that lead around the turn for home still eight and a half lengths from Strong Belwas. Creepshow did cut into that lead quite a bit in the stretch but it was too little too late as he finished second a length and a half back.

Ollie’s Gone has hit the board in his last three races all graded stakes. Ollie was sitting fifth early but that put him twelve lengths off the early pace. He managed to put together a good run in the stretch just behind Creepshow gaining quite a bit of ground in the stretch finishing third just two and a half lengths behind the winner. He was twelve lengths better than the fourth place finisher.   

Race: 3231.0114 My Girl Handicap – Grade I – $400,000
Track: California
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one sixteenth on the Dirt

The fillies put on a thrilling show as the longest shot in the field, Big Ugly, ran a huge race to win by three quarters of a length. Big Ugly was the long shot based on her last two races where she put up speed figures of 62 and then 89. Today Big Ugly was dead last early sitting fourteen and a half lengths off the pace setter. She made her way forward from the half way point and exploded in the stretch making up more than ten lengths getting up at the wire to win by three quarters of a length earning a 113 speed figure.

September Royalty showed she can press the pace and still have some run in the stretch. Normally when she does well she jumps out to an early lead and gets caught late. Today she pressed the early pace and then took over entering the stretch. She had an almost two length lead entering the stretch. Even though she got run down again she put up a winning effort today and just got beat at the wire by a freakish performance.

Frostfang was the pace setter in this race rushing out to set the pace form the beginning. She was pressed the whole time on the lead and gave it up shortly after the half way point. She stayed on well despite being headed and although she lost ground in the stretch she was good enough to hang onto third six and a quarter lengths behind the winner.   

Race: 3231.0414 Cosmopolitan Handicap – Grade I – $750,000
Track: New York
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: One mile on the Dirt

Festive Fifty does it again and makes it look easy. Festive Fifty puts up another big speed figure wining by a length and three quarters over a very good field. Festive was sitting near the back of the pack early some eight lengths off the early pace. He moved up to within five and a half lengths at the top of the stretch and did what he had been doing very well here recently. He ran them all down taking the lead in deep stretch and pulling away a bit by the time he crossed the wire. He has now taken two very well known mile races and should be considered one of the top dirt milers right now.

One Wild Cat ran another good race this time he just ran up against a runner that was just a little better. One Wild Cat set the pace today and it was an honest pace. He was clear early and had a near two length lead at the half mile pole. He spurted away from the field around the turn and took a four length advantage into the stretch. He just did not have enough left in the tank to hold off the favorite in deep stretch finishing second a length and a quarter back.