Big Race Recaps 2601

Race: 2601.3515 Maudlin Cup – Grade I – $450,000
Track: Longchamp
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: One mile on the Turf

Mizzen Dizzie threw down the pace and held strong in a very impressive gate to wire victory. In a race that appeared to have loads of speed and several runners gunning for the lead Mizzen Dizzie shot out of the gates like a rocket moving a length clear quickly and was two lengths clear at the half way point. Deep closing Orange Swirl was in trouble early fifteen lengths of that incredible early pace about three to four lengths further back than he usually like to run.

From the half mile pole in Mizzen Dizzie kept up the brutal pace leading the field by three lengths heading into the stretch. There Mizzen cruised home never really threatened wrapping up his first career grade I win. Orange Swirl was saved for another day finishing well back.

The strong pace really took all the closers out of the race and stalkers Fusaichi Magpie and Congo  found themselves the only horses in the field close enough to challenge the pace setter. They seemed to struggle to make any ground on the winner until deep stretch, when Fusaichi Magpie picked it up a bit more than Congo to get within a length and a quarter of the winner at the wire. Congo was third just a half length back. Fourth went to Red Theatre (IRE) who closed several lengths in the stretch.

Race: 2601.0315 Sun Dancer – Grade I – $500,000
Track: Kentucky
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old
Distance: A mile and one quarter on the Turf

Devil’s Slide does it again. What a little work horse she has become. Racing in her seventh race in sixteen weeks she produced one of her best performances of the year. Of the seven races she has won six of them. This week she had a little more of a challenge than she has scene in a while. Front running Tess Carlisle got loose on the lead. In fact she was not blazing away up front and had opened up a commanding eight length lead on the field.

Eight lengths turned out to be a length and a half short of what Tess Carlisle needed in the stretch. Half way through Devil’s Slide was fifth but eleven lengths back. Devil’s Slide made up about three lengths around the turn and found another gear in the stretch. She cruised up to Tess Carlisle and went by her with about fifty yards to go. Devil’s Slide won by a length and a quarter with Tess Carlisle second. It was seven lengths back to Barb’s Little Lion. The Little Lion turned in another honest effort for a very nice third in graded company.


Race: 2601.2216 Nail in the Coffin – Grade I – $500,000
Track: Delaware
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 4 years old and up
Distance: Six furlongs on the Turf

The top ranked turf sprinting mare Elsinore did not disappoint. In fact the first four finishers were runners all ranked in the top ten of that division. Elsinore stalked the early pace not as far back as usual. In the stretch she made her move finding a very game seven year old moving with her. Fourteen Comb stalked in fourth and made a strong bid into the stretch with Elsinore. Those two battled till mid stretch when Elsinore finally wore down Fourteen Comb to win by a length and a quarter.

Fourteen Comb was second clear by three and a half lengths over the third place finisher Grass and She. Grass and She made a little move around the turn and finished evenly in the stretch. Fourth went to deep closing Red Tejas. Red Tejas was only about seven lengths back but was unable to make up much ground on the winner. 


Race: 2601.0316  Rocky – Grade I – $500,000
Track: Kentucky
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old
Distance: Six furlongs on the Dirt

Speed dominated this race. Ancient World out lasted Afluke at the wire but three of the top four finishers were all on the pace. Ancient World broke well and pressed the pace on the inside never far off the early pace. Phantom Wings kept him company sticking a neck in front a couple of times. Casterly Rock (IRE) was also close to the pace early on the far outside. These three runners battled around the turn and into the stretch. Afluke was ninth early on but was never far off the pace only about three and a quarter lengths or so.

In deep stretch Ancient World had won the war of attrition and got enough separation to last to the wire as Afluke picked it up late to get within a head of Ancient World at the wire. It was just a hald length back to third place Casterly Rock (IRE) and fourth place Phantom Wings. Ancient World has an incredible record of ten wins from thirteen starts and looks like one of the best three year old sprinters after this race.   


Race: 2601.0414 Princess Di Cap – Grade I – $500,000
Track: New York
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one eighth on the Turf

This one played out exactly like it looked on paper. A Gold City just dominated them with no pace pressure. She went to the lead unopposed and never looked back. She held a four and a half length advantage at the half way point and made a steady run through the stretch to win by three lengths. She was never challenged or in danger at any point in the race. The three year old filly Sly Go Lightly (IRE) ran a nice race stalking in second. She did manage to make up a small amount of ground on the winner in the stretch. She was four and a quarter lengths better than the third place filly Spooky Ballet.   


Race: 2601.0416 Radio City – Grade I – $500,000
Track: New York
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old
Distance: Six furlongs on the Dirt

Only one runner mentioned in the preview ran well enough to hit the board. Hard to Handle finally broke through after several strong runs. He had been knocking on the door in stakes company but the race before this he dropped back into an allowance winner that race. His confidence carried over to this race. Hard to Handle stalked the early pace in second. I the stretch he moved up and took over leaving no doubt a furlong from the finish who was going to win this race. He won by a full length.

Salmon Hater went from turf to dirt is a big way. He stalked from fifth and made a big improvement off his last race. He kept coming and closing ground all the way through the stretch but he was not making up enough ground to really threaten the winner. Salmon Hater engaged Ratcity in Blue in the stretch and the duel for the place was nearly impossible to decide. Ratcity in Blue stalked from third and just barely lost the place right at the wire.  


Race: 2601.5516 Show No Mercy – Grade I – $500,000
Track: Queensland
Restrictions: Fillies and mares, 3 years old
Distance: One mile on the Turf

This was a very suspect field of grade I runners. Several runners had not won a race in six months and only one had a graded win. Thirteenth Date stepped up her game and gave a solid grade I worthy performance. She stayed a little closer to the pace than usual only about seven lengths back. That was a distance she was able to make up on this field. She cruised around the turn for home and exploded into the stretch making up several lengths and opening up a few more by the wire. Thirteenth Date pulled away for a two and three quarter length win.

Theatrical Cry (IRE) set a slow pace and held the lead into the stretch before being run down by Thirteenth Date. Dynahigh (IRE) stalked in second and was flat in the stretch. That was still good enough to hold third.