Life In The Fast Layne

The fifteenth race on the card on Saturday was the Grade I St, James Tavern over a mile on the turf. An almost full field of thirteen made their way though the post parade and to the starting gates at noon. Horses loaded easily into the starting gate, with Rock Ballad, with jockey J. Dyson, bulking and refusing to go in, needing minimal gateman assistance. When the field was all in the tense waiting began.

When the gates crashed open it was bohemia trained New Information out to a very narrow lead over Cugat’s Stage, trained by patwilliam. One and a half lengths back in third was Rock Ballad, trained by opinora, who despite an uneasy gate load in was making a good start to the race. Running along in fourth and fifth were Agent X and Paycheck (IRE), trained and owned by futurestar and deyoto respectively. Out of the gates last and trailing the front-runners by eight and a half lengths was lenny5 trained Sister Awake.

New Information and Cugat’s Stage continued to battle head to head in the race, the pair beginning to get into a an early speed duel. Rock Ballad was still keeping up in third two and one-fourth lengths off the pace. Payckeck moved up into fourth now, pushing back Agent X who was now running in fifth. PJ Blaze Of Glory (GB), trained by tarepjff, who had been running in tenth now moved up into ninth, pushing back longshot Forklifts (IRE), trained and owned by home. Still trailing the field by thirteen and one-fourth lengths was Sister Awake.

Coming into the stretch it was still New Information and Cugat’s Stage dueling for the lead and coming towards home. Beginning to make his move and just one length off of the lead was Awesome Song, trained by goldcity. Paycheck was still maintaining fourth position with Rock Ballad sliding down into fifth. Wistful trained Torino was beginning to make his move and was now in sixth and searching for room in the midst of the pack. Agent X was dropping out of it and had faded to seventh. The Fast Layne, trained by seacadet, had indeed found the fast lane and was moving up quickly on the outside and had gone from eleventh and into eighth, the colt still gaining ground. Dropping back into ninth was pre-race favorite Unintentionally, owned by pjlracing. In tenth was PJ Blaze OF Glory (GB). Tihsho owned Fast Lane had moved gradually up into eleventh along with Sister Awake who was now in twelfth. Trailing the field now by twelve and a half lengths was longshot Forklifts (IRE).

Now the field ws in the stretch and coming for home, the speed dueling horses tiring, the stalkers quickly gaining ground and it was The Fast Layne, owned and trained by seacadet, with jockey M. Day riding, to take the win in the St. James Tavern by one and a half lengths with a lifetime best speed figure set of one hundred nine for the son of Rahy. In third was Awesome Song with Paycheck (IRE) rounding out the top three.

Also rans include: New Information, Cugat’s Stage, Rock Ballad, Torino, Sister Awake, Agent X, Fast Lane, Unintentionally, PJ Blaze Of Glory (GB), and Forklifts (IRE).