Corporate Finance (ENG) Upsets 6 Furlong Dirt Open Equinics

Yesterday saw the running of many great, exciting Equinics races as part of the 2008 Equinics held here in Vermont. The six furlong dirt open, with the choice charity being the Red Cross, was the third race on the card this past Saturday of Equinics races. The weather did clear out by post time for the Equinics on Saturday, leaving the dirt track fast and the inner turf track firm. Seventeen horses had been entered in the third race of the day, the six furlong open dirt sprint, with Mach Pelican, owned by newastin1 going to the gate as the race favorite. The race sure was an exciting one to watch, as were all the Equinics that day, and ended in an upset with Corporate Finance (ENG), trained by grandview, a member of the Kentucky Horseman residency, upsetting the favorite to win the prestigious one million dollar race.

Out of the gate first after the starting bell in the six furlong dirt sprint was Gone For Royal, owned and trained by jester. The bay son of top sire Gone West led on the outside by one-eighth of a length over fernando trained Fernando Hero. Rounding out our top three out of the gate early was Wild Silver Skunk, sent to the gate by skunkbred3. Running boxed in just behind the first three runners with a slight nose in front for fourth was Rain Dog owned by ossy7. To the outside right on his flank was zipchippy’s Prince Of Cairo The rest of the field trailed out behind with deltatiger’s Cryptic Apples bringing up the rear early on, back by seven and a half lengths.

Gone For Royal managed to lengthen his lead on the rest of the field slightly to three-fourths of a length over Fernando Hero who was still running second early on in the dirt sprint. Wild Silver Skunk continued on in third with Rain Dog and Prince Of Cairo maintaining their positions behind him in fourth and fifth. From back towards the back of the field in tenth place, Pyralis, trained by kbsweet was beginning to make his early move on the field, finding holes on the rail and weaving in and out of horses. Still trailing the field at this point was Cryptic Apples, who was now back eleven and one-fourth lengths off Gone For Royal.

Into the turn Gone For Royal now had a steady two length lead over Wild Silver Skunk who had emerged into second after overtaking the quickly tiring Fernando Hero who was now plummeting in third. Rain Dog was still managing to hold on in fourth but with Prince Of Cairo finally giving up the fight and falling back in the field, now running in twelfth. The vor owned and trained colt, Vorreedi now found himself in fifth, up from his mid-pack running position of fifth. Coroporate Finance (ENG), who would ultimately go on to win the Red Cross Equinics, was now making his move, going from nearly the back of the field and now being held just off the pace of the leaders in sixth, waiting until the stretch until A. Rolling would let the striking roan colt have his head and go for the lead. Pyralis was steadily moving up now and was in eighth now to the inside of Wolf’s Slam, trained by graywolf4. Zman’s TSF Academy was also being set up for a late running drive in the stretch and was now sitting in the just behind other horses in ninth, six and a half lengths off Gone For Royal.

Then the field rushed onto the stretch. Gone For Royal extended and tried to hold on to his two length lead but didn’t manage to fend off the onslaught of horses running after him in the stretch. The came to the wire and it was the roan three-year-old son of With Approval, Corporate Finance (ENG) who emerged to win in an upset by one and a half lengths under jockey A. Rolling in 1:08 3/5 with a speed figure of one hundred fourteen, a lifetime best for the speedy roan colt. Coming home hard on the rail to finish second was Pyralis and TSF Academy got up into the third spot.

Also rans: Gone For Royal, Vorreedi, Mach Pelican, Evil Genius, Wild Silver Skunk, I Don’t Get It, Rain Dog, Wolf’s Slam, Cryptic Apples, Fernando Hero, Sheridan, First Warrior, Whim and Prince Of Cairo.