Big Race Recap 3315 Turf Edition
For the boys on the turf there where really no surprises but for the ladies you had a couple of small upsets. Rapid Grey successfully defended his title in the Windy City Turf Classic. Meanwhile Exclusive Habitat looked like a monster running a faster time in the Big Red than the older horses in the
Race: 3315.0715
Track:
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one quarter on the Turf
Rapid Grey successfully defends his title with an impressive three and three quarters length win. The surprise of the race was how far back Otto Oh No was in the early stages of this race. Normally Otto Oh No is four or five lengths closer to the early pace and that could have meant the difference at the end of this race.
Rapid Grey was near the back but two lengths in front of his biggest threat. That was all the cushion he would need. At the half way point Rapid Grey was more than fourteen lengths off the early pace. He was seven lengths back at the top of the stretch where he accelerated passing everyone and pulling away in the end to win very impressively.
Otto Oh No was dead last early sixteen and a half lengths back. He made a good move on the turn and a strong run through the stretch but he was only matching strides with Rapid Grey and in the end he could not do that. He was clearly second best today finishing second.
K’s Okkasion ran a good race finishing third. He was mid pack in the early stages about nine and a half lengths off the pace. He did not make up much ground on the turn though and that cost him because at the top of the stretch Rapid Grey was already breathing down his neck. He made steady progress through the stretch losing the place in deep stretch finishing third four and three quarter lengths behind the winner.
Race: 3315.0714 Big Red Stakes – Grade I – $500,000
Track:
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old
Distance: A mile and one quarter on the Turf
Exclusive Habitat dominates and toys with this field of three year olds on his was to a four and a half length victory. For the first time in several races he did not have the lead. That honor went to Synchronization who got the early lead but was pressed by Exclusive Habitat. A little after the half way point Exclusive Habitat had inched his way to the lead. When asked at the top of the stretch he pulled away impressively. He looked much the best the entire race and proved to be much the best today winning big earning a 116 speed figure. He finished his mile and a quarter almost a full second faster than the older horses finished their mile and a quarter one race later.
Synchronization who set the early lead was still good enough in the stretch to hold the place. The top two had separated them selves from the field by more than nine lengths at the top of the stretch. Synchronization would finish more than three lengths better than the third place finisher Perfect Son. Perfect Son was one of the extreme few that actually gained ground in this race. He was more than sixteen lengths off the early pace and closed to finished seven and three quarter lengths back at the wire.
Race: 3315.0713 Cedora D Stakes – Grade I – $750,000
Track:
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and three sixteenths on the Turf
High Ransom turns in a gem upsetting this field at odds of 9-1. This was a short field of fillies and mares. High Ransom showed great improvement cutting back in distance. She grabbed a great stalking position early settling less than two lengths off the early pace set by Whispering Sound. High Ransom was patiently ridden with Deputy Hunter sitting comfortably in third.
When Whispering Sound ran out of gas High Ransom picked up the pace setting duties edging clear by a length and a quarter with the favorite Deputy Hunter chasing in second. Captivating who was also stalking the early pace had moved up as well into third just three and a half lengths from High Ransom. High Ransom though had plenty of gas in the tank and continued to stride out through the stretch. Deputy Hunter was all out but not making up enough ground as was Captivating. High Ransom prevailed by just a length over Deputy Hunter. Captivating finished third two and a half lengths back.
Race: 3315.5515 Black Gold Stakes – Grade I – $400,000
Track:
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one quarter on the Turf
Misty earns her first grade one victory on the yielding ground where she has proven over and over she love. Looking at this field before the race you really got the feeling despite the yielding surface a runner was going to have to put up a 100 speed figure to win here and as it turned out that thinking was wrong. The surface was extremely yielding and it took a runner with experience on the off surfaces as well as a horse that does well on these surfaces to prevail.
Misty was near the back of the pack early although sitting in ninth she was only six lengths off the pace. As it turned out she was one of the few who found their footing on the surface and she was able to work her way through the pack and surge to the lead in the stretch. She pulled away in the stretch winning by three lengths looking impressive despite the slower speed figure.
Twenty to one Ices Baby ran a big one finishing second. In the early stages she pressed and stalked the early pace. At the half way point she went to the lead and carried a length and three quarters lead into the stretch. She just did not have the acceleration that Misty had and could not hold her off but she did hold on to the place by a half length. Get What You Need was seventh in the early stages of the race five and a half off the lead. She just never appeared to get a good hold of the track and despite that she managed to crawl her way past horses to finish third three and a half behind the winner.