Big Race Recap BB Dirt Races

Upsets continued to be the trend with Solar Song, Sweet Sister Mercy and Tired Wings taking the Sprint. The dirt races turned out to be very close with thrilling finishes all around. Solar Song becomes the first repeat winner in the Classic, while Sweet Sister Mercy turned in one of the most impressive closing kicks witnessed. Tired Wings looked much the best in the sprint.

Race: 3385.0915 Breeders Bowl Classic – Grade I – $4,000,000
Track: New Jersey
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one quarter on the Dirt

Ermington Pegasus was denied the cherry on top of a great year by defending champ Solar Song. Solar Song became the first repeat winner of the Breeders Bowl Classic and ran the first sub two minute Classic in the history of the race. Those are awesome accomplishments for a horse that made his thirty ninth career start.

Solar Song was near the back of the pack in the early stages of this race as he loped along fourteen lengths behind the early pace. He moved up around the turn for home but really kicked into high gear coming into the stretch. He powered him gobbling up ground going from ten lengths back to a quarter length win. He needed every inch of the stretch and just got up in the final strides over Awegustus and Otto Causes.

Awegustus had won the Jockey Guild Gold Cup coming into this race and ran another good race. Just like the Smackdown though he came up a bit short. Awegustus was mid pack in the early stages of this race a little more than eight lengths off the early pace. He moved up when asked  to fourth position six lengths back. He made a strong move through the stretch eating up ground on the pace setting Otto Causes. He caught Otto Causes in deep stretch just as Solar Song nailed them both on the wire. It was the slightest of difference between Awegustus and Otto Causes.

Otto Causes really had not been all that competitive since his last win in February in the grade one Glen. He has been running third in several big events and today nearly pulled off the upset. He broke strong from the gates laying down a fast pace. He was a bit more than a length ahead at the half way point and took a three length lead into the stretch. He was just out of gas in the last stages getting caught in the final two jumps by two horses having to settle for a hard luck third a quarter length behind Solar Song.    

Race: 3385.0913 Breeders Bowl Distaff – Grade I – $2,000,000
Track: New Jersey
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one eighth on the Dirt

Sweet Sister Mercy ran them all down in one extremely powerful stretch move. She was on quite a roll coming into this race and she kept rolling her way to a Breeders Bowl victory. In the early stages the fast pace pushed Sweet Sister Mercy to almost seventeen lengths off the early pace. What was most impressive is that she was still twelve lengths back as the front runners entered the stretch and she made up twelve lengths in the stretch and pulled away by a length to win by one length at the wire.

Otto History joined two other Otto named runner ups. Otto History laid down a quick pace. She had to if she wanted to be in the clear and that is just where she was. She opened up a one length lead early, pushed it to over two lengths at the half way point and had a four length lead entering the top of the stretch. She was out of gas at that point but had run most of the field right of their feet. She stayed on but was caught in deep stretch having to settle for second. She just held over Arawaza for her second place finish.

Arawaza seemed to get a nearly ideal trip. She was just off the early pace sitting in fourth place and had moved up to second around the turn for home four lengths behind the pace setter. She picked it up and was gaining ground on the pace setter with each stride. She would not put up any challenge to Sweet Sister Mercy and just missed catching Otto History on the wire. She had to settle for a hard luck third a length behind the winner.

Race: 3385.0911 Breeders Bowl Sprint – Grade I – $1,000,000
Track: New Jersey
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: Six furlongs on the Dirt

 Tired Wings performed as well as he looked coming into the race taking a group of very accomplished sprinters in wire to wire fashion. He was a long shot at fifteen to one but to anyone who looked at the past performances he was clearly one of the stronger runners in the race. He had been showing the ability to hold off the pace a bit but when no one jumped out of the gates he went right to the lead. He was clear by a length at the half way point and took a two length lead entering the stretch. He still had gas in the tank a continued to run strong never really being threatened while winning by a length and a quarter.

In a Simple Rhyme turned in another good run. He came into the race off a nice win in the Tri City Sprint. He is a closer and today he closed from near the back of the pack. He was not real far back less than six lengths from the early pace. He moved passed some runners to get into contention at the top of the stretch. He was gaining ground in the stretch but it was not enough to get passed Tired Wings. He with Wonderboy DJ most of the stretch and just got the better of that rival at the wire. He finished up second a length and a quarter behind the winner.

Wonderboy DJ ran in the World Cup and had a race between that race in the Scottsdale before making his way here in the Breeders Bowl. Three races in five weeks is quite a work load but the third place finish seems pretty nice. He was mid pack early just ahead of In a Simple Rhyme. He moved up and at the top of the stretch had was chasing Tired Wings. He would gain some ground but could not threaten. He was locked in a battle for place with In a Simple Rhyme and just lost out in deep stretch having to settle for third.

Casterly Rock came up short in his bid for three straight but ran fourth a very solid effort.