Big Race Recap 3315 Dirt Edition
Black Tuesday asserts herself as possibly the top three year old filly while Privileged establishes himself as a top older handicap horse. We had a very exciting finish in
Race: 3315.0414
Track:
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old
Distance: A mile and one quarter on the Dirt
Black Tuesday does it again and is well on her way to establishing herself as the top horse in her division. She loped out of the gates as usual dropping back to dead last. She was eleven and a half lengths off the pace when she decided it was time to run. She made steady improvement and made a big move on the turn coming into the stretch. She made up almost eight lengths on the pace setter drawing off the win by two and a half lengths.
Dark Places was a horse to watch prior to the race and she did not disappoint. She set the pace here shaking clear by a length most of the way. She never under more than mild pressure and she repelled all challengers but one. She carried a one length lead into the stretch with Katherineofaragorn applying the pressure. Katherineofaragorn broke well from her outside post to not be caught too far wide early. She settled into second and as they rounded the turn for home she started to inch closer to Dark Places.
Dark Places was stubborn but Katherineofaragorn just could not kick by her. As these two separated a bit from the rest of the field Black Tuesday was in high gear blowing by both of them in deep stretch. Dark Places would hold off Katherineofaragorn by half a length for second.
Race: 3315.0315 Bill Gulch
Track:
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one eighth on the Dirt
Privileged win impressively and looks like a horse you have to consider as a serious contender for the Breeder’s Bowl Classic and at the top in this older handicap division. I do not know if his race schedule was planned this way or not but he was making just his fifth start this year after twenty two at age two and three. His last four starts have been spread out over the last six months and they have been very consistent and really good. Planned or not you have to say his trainer Dixiedotcom has done a great job handling him this year.
The race its self featured a speed pace set by Quincannon who shook clear early by as many as three lengths. That really set up the closers for their late runs. Privileged was actually mid pack but a little more than ten lengths off the pace. He closed almost half that distance rounding the turn for home getting the jump on the deep closers. Mon West was thirteenth early and Sinanju was just behind him in fourteenth. Mon West made and Sinanju made good moves on the turn but entering the stretch they where still eight and nine lengths off the pace respectively. Privileged jumped on the fading speed and established a lead he would not relinquish never being threatened by the deep closers he would win by two lengths. Mon West made up some six lengths in the stretch finishing second while Sinanju did much the same making up a little more than six lengths to finish third two and three quarter lengths behind the winner.
Race: 3315.0415 Dancer Cap – Grade I – $350,000
Track:
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old and up
Distance: Seven furlongs on the Dirt
Three year old Fleetwood Mia stunned her older rivals to win by half a length at the wire. She was my long shot pick in the preview last week and she did not disappoint. She backed up her big 114 speed figure two races back earning a 112 while winning this race. Fleetwood Mia established a good stalking position early in this race sitting in fifth four lengths off the early pace. She had moved to second at the top of the stretch and had her eyes set on the pace setting Again Withthe Gold.
She bore down and passed a tiring Again Withthe Gold in deep stretch and had to fight off the late charge of Cormorant Creek to earn the half length win. Cormorant Creek was an even longer shot that Fleetwood Mia at 21-1. She closed well from the back sitting tenth early although she was less than seven lengths off the early pace. She really found her stride in the stretch and just ran out of ground in the end.
Stirling Form ran her race but it just was not good enough here.
Race: 3315.0114 The JUJITSU Attack – Grade I – $500,000
Track:
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 4 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one sixteenth on the Dirt
What a stretch dual last weekend. The top two contenders locked horns at the top of the stretch and ran at each other the entire length of the stretch and they where joined late by a long shot making her run. Irreversible was the favorite coming into the race and on paper her most serious rival appeared to be Arawaza. The race unfolded just as it looked like it would on paper.
Arawaza pressed the early pace and took the lead rounding the turn for home. Irreversible was a length off that early pace and moved up around the turn to Arawaza. At the top of the stretch these two where virtually side by side with Arawaza holding a quarter length advantage, both mares laid their ears back and where all out. As it would appear Irreversible was moving up Arawaza would respond these two where back and fourth. Meanwhile long shot A Fire Inside was gearing up out side of these two. She also stalked the pace and was only a length and a half back at the top of the stretch.
A Fire Inside rose to the occasion and started making up ground on the top two. By deep stretch it was three horses in a tight battle with Arawaza turning in a very gritty performance holding off Irreversible by a nose on the wire with long shot A Fire Inside a a quarter of a length back.
Race: 3315.0116 Kingab Sprint Cup – Grade I – $500,000
Track:
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: Five furlongs on the Dirt
The shocker of the day was turned in by Sestriere as he beat a very accomplished group of sprinter at odds of 24-1. Sestriere made it look easy jumping out of the gates from his seventeen post grabbing the early lead and never relenting. At the top of the stretch he had managed to pull away by a little more than a length and that was all he needed holding on to win by three quarters of a length at the wire.
Act of Brave was second last early more than seven lengths off the early pace. He would close very strongly in the stretch making up a lot of ground and passing sixteen other runners to finish second by three quarters of a length. Act of Brave always seems to be able to close very well in shorter sprints.
In a Simple Rhyme was last early and he showed he has some closing skills as well. He was right with Act of Brave in the early stages but lost ground to him in the stretch. Still he managed to make up quite a bit of ground and passed all but two to finish third a length and three quarters behind the winner.