Big Race Recap 3365
A mixed bag of winners you will likely see on Breeder’s Bowl day and winners you will likely see a players down the road from now. Lex Luthor was impressive in his win this week but Max California was probably the most impressive at a mile and a half on turf this week. A couple of juvenile winners score victories for less expensive sires while the filly turf runners this week will likely have no impact on the Breeder’s Bowl.
Race: 3364.3513
Track: Longchamp
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one half on the Turf
Lex Luthor made it look easy taking the
Rainband was a horse I thought had a good shot of improving and competing well in this race and he did just that. This three year old had not run this far yet but he had all the signs it would be no problem. He closed from way downtown sitting seventeen and a half lengths behind the pace at the half way point. He closed some serious ground through the stretch the problem for him though he was too far back to threaten the winner. He was five lengths better than the third place finisher to give you an idea of how well he ran despite being beaten by four lengths.
Cache did not get any mention in the preview and shame on me because I overlooked this filly. The four year old filly trained by Dragnil did his residency the Alpine Turf Club proud with this effort. Many of you may know Dragnil for his articles in the BTB such as the SAF Connections. Cache was no danger to the winner but she ran a pretty solid race against the boys. She was fourth in the early stages of the race more than ten lengths from the pace at the halfway point. From their she lost a bit of ground but found herself in second chasing Lex Luthor. She was not able to close significant ground on him and lost second to Rainband in mid stretch but none the less a very solid effort from the filly. She will be a horse to take a look at in the Breeder’s Bowl Turf Distaff.
Race: 3364.5315 Coalminer Cup – Grade I – $1,500,000
Track:
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one half on the Turf
Max California ran down Ottoman Turks at the wire scoring an impressive victory while punching his ticket to the Breeder’s Bowl Turf. Max California looked like a live long shot in the preview and he turned out to be just that. Winterfell Racing handled Max with care this year and that has now paid off for them. Max was further off the pace than he had been, but at this level that is probably where he will be most times, about nine lengths off the early pace. He made his move into contention from their around the turn for home he was sitting in third six and a half lengths from the pace setter. In the stretch he found that high gear and just kept coming at the pace setter. At times it looked like he would not get there, and then in the final jump he got his nose down on the wire in a brilliant time and earned a very nice speed figure.
Ottoman Turks got challenged early and that was probably the difference in this race. He did not have the lead in the early stages but was pressing on the lead. At the half way point he took over the pace setting duties and took a commanding three and a quarter length lead into the stretch. From there he was still running a good pace it just turned out to be one step too slow to come home the winner. He did seem to show he had the ability to deal with pace pressure and that looks to be a plus moving forward. However in the Breeder’s Bowl Turf he will not sniff the front if Lex Luthor wants it.
SR Awareness was the horse that jumped out of the gates to set the early pace. On the stretch out he performed very well. SR Awareness was pressed by Ottoman Turks the whole way and gave way to him shortly after the halfway point in the race. Instead of giving in after being passed he dug in and was game even though he was not gaining ground. That gameness allowed him to hold down third where he was nine lengths behind the winner, but he was more than seven lengths better than the fourth place horse.
Race: 3364.0415 Classic Turf Stakes – Grade I – $750,000
Track:
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one half on the Turf
Another Tenpin Tap finally broke through to get that grade one win after being close in his last four races. This one was not as easy as it probably should have been for him. He got out of the gates in good order and sat just off the early pace in second. When asked he moved up to the pace setter and passed him taking a length and a half lead into the stretch. At this point only one other horse loomed as a danger to Another Tenpin Tap and that was Expected Yield. Expected Yield had been making steady progress. It was all Another Tenpin Tap could do to hold him off at the wire to win by a quarter of a length. The time here and the speed figures where way below the other races this week at this distance. I would be shocked if a runner from this race does anything in the Breeder’s Bowl Turf.
Expected Yield hails from a super stables and as with any runner in those stables there comes a set of high expectations. He is a two time listed stakes winner but had not moved up to this level until this summer. The race before this he finished third in a grade two and now he has a second in a grade one. His running style varies and this time he elected to come from just off the pace sitting in fourth almost seven lengths off the early pace. He made a solid steady move from the half way point all the way to the wire just coming up short by a quarter of a length.
The old veteran Dancin in
Race: 3364.0414 Flower Pot Stakes – Grade I – $750,000
Track:
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one quarter on the Turf
Favorites? What favorites? This one turned out to be a match race between seven to one Laphroaig and nine to one Things Need Done. When the gates opened it was these two that went to the front and they would not be bothered the rest of the way by anyone else in the field.
Laphroaig got the early jump and set the pace. She was just a quarter length ahead of the pressing Things Need Done. These two where a length clear of the field at the half way point and built a three length lead entering the stretch. From there Things Need Done gained an inch here and then and inch there, Laphroaig dug in and the fight continued down the stretch. These two fillies where thrilling the crowd with a stretch dual to be remembered. It took a photo to decide the finish and Laphroaig just outlasted the valiant Things Need Done by a nostril. These two fillies seemed so evenly matched hopefully they will lock horns again.
Condemnation had the a good view of the ongoing battle for the win. Condemnation was sixth in the early stages of the race about six and a half length off the pace. From there she maneuvered through traffic to be fourth at the top of the stretch. She made a solid move through the stretch gaining on the top two but it was too little too late. She would finish third three and a half lengths behind the top two.
Race: 3364.0314 QE2 Challenge – Grade I – $500,000
Track:
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old
Distance: A mile and one eighth on the Turf
Skull Crusher is in a league of her own right now, as she crushes her two year old rivals for back to back grade one wins. Despite the wins though she will need some help if she wants to make the Breeder’s Bowl Turf Distaff. She currently ranks twelfth among three year olds and there are thirty five older females who rank ahead of her as well. None the less at a mile and an eighth on turf there might not be a better filly going right now.
Skull Crusher was further back position wise this time around as she was in eighth place in the early stages but she was only a little more than three lengths off the early pace. She made her move into contention around the turn for home and was third by three quarters of a length entering the stretch. It was church for the rest of the field from there as she hit high gear pulling away in the stretch to win by a little over three lengths.
K’s Masterpiece lost for just the second time in her short career and her first loss on the turf. She has a very impressive record of eight wins and two seconds from ten career starts. She looked dangerous last weekend. In the early stages K’s Masterpiece was only a half length from the pace. She had the lead as the runners entered the stretch but she did not have the same kick home as Skull Crusher. She was second best today finishing three and a quarter lengths behind the winner.
Long shot Sabre Fan ran a good race to finish third. She started the race a little further back than she normally has found herself. She was eleventh seven and a half lengths back. Usually she is within five lengths of the early pace but not today. She ran her race from there though. She picked off a few horses around the turn for home, then kept motoring through the stretch to finish third four and a half lengths behind the winner.
Race: 3364.0416 Sparkling Wine Stakes – Grade I – $500,000
Track:
Restrictions: All horses, 2 years old
Distance: A mile and one sixteenth on the Dirt
Zabeel Warrior comes from no where at fourteen to one to take the Sparkling Wine. Zabeel Warrior has had a nice start to his career. He broke his maiden at first asking, then added an allowance win before stepping up to stakes races. He had finished second or third in each of his previous four stakes and finally breaks through here in his first graded try. He sat just off the pace setter in the early stages of the race. He was a little more than two lengths back at one point but made a steady gain to the top of the stretch and that is where the battle began. He fought hard to get to the pace setter in deep stretch to just get up for the win by three quarters of a length.
Brave Birdie set the pace scooting clear by more than two lengths in the early stages. In his previous race, a grade two at seven furlongs, he got caught late and that happened to him two races back in another stakes. The same thing happened today and he was the leader at every pole except the last one. This time though he did a good job of digging in late and almost held off the winner.
Suited AK was mid pack in the early stages of the race seven and a half lengths off the pace. He made a solid move around the turn and into the stretch but never got into contention. He managed to close to within four lengths of the winner at the wire and was a half a length better than the fourth place finisher. Prior to this race Suiter AK had won a pair listed stakes in route races and despite the third place finish improved nicely.
Race: 3364.0915 Frickazee Stakes – Grade I – $500,000
Track:
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 2 years old
Distance: A mile and one sixteenth on the Dirt
A thrilling stretch battle ensued with EE Bright Light just outlasting Sevenspanishangels for the win. These where a two of the top three choices and they ran like it. EE Bright Light had the top speed figure coming into the race and was a grade three winner in her last race. That experience could have been the difference today.
EE Bright Light was a off the pace a bit in sixth but just four and a half lengths back. She made an inside move into contention on the turn getting into second just two and a quarter lengths from the tiring pace setter.
Sevenspanishangels was off the pace as well just behind EE Bright Light in seventh five lengths off the early pace. She made her move at the same time EE Bright Light made her move and these two locked horns at the top of the stretch still behind the pace setter.
The pace setter had no chance as EE Bright Light and Sevenspanishangels went charging by. Sevenspanishangels kept gaining ever so slightly but EE Bright Light was just as game. The two hit the wire together with EE Bright Light getting the nod by a nose in a spectacular stretch battle.
Long shot Battle Music was well back in the early stages sitting in twelfth position. She was nine lengths off the early pace. She made up some ground around the turn for home but did not hit her best stride until she got in the stretch. From there she kicked home strongly to close to within two lengths of the top two at the wire.
Race: 3364.5515 Knick Knack Juvenile – Grade I – $500,000
Track:
Restrictions: All horses, 2 years old
Distance: A mile and one sixteenth on the Turf
Raging Menace scores the upset in Queensland This West Virginia bred son of Trail City was over looked coming into this race off a third place effort in the grade one High Flyer. Today he stalked from just off the early pace in fifth position. He was only four and a half lengths off the early pace. From there he made his move into contention moving up to third two lengths off the pace setter. He closed strongly in the stretch taking the lead in deep stretch and pulling away to win by two and a quarter lengths.
Hoarfrost Hill pressed the early pace today after setting the pace in his previous race a win at the listed stakes level. The fact he did not have the lead did not seem to bother him He took a short lead at the top of the stretch and widened just a bit before Raging Menace wore him down. He would hold well through the stretch to hold on to second a length and a half ahead of the third place finisher.
The Stardust jumped from the gates like he always does and set a pretty quick pace. He was headed at the top of the stretch after being under pressure the whole way. He still did not let up too much in the stretch holding on to third three and three quarter lengths behind the winner.