Crushing Ignorance Crushes Field in Panhandle Oaks

.It was an outstanding day of racing here in Florida this past weekend. Perhaps none of the races on the Saturday card were more exciting than the $175,000 Panhandle Oaks (G3) for three year old fillies. Ara Pacis (FR), owned and trained by astinator0, went to the gates of the mile and one eighth turf race as the favorite above second choice pick, seppy’s To The Choir. However, the field and grandstand audience were in for a big surprise this Saturday as a race longshot, Crushing Ignorance, trained by zwango crushed the nine other fillies in the field and won the prestigious race by three and one-fourth lengths in wire to wire fashion.

The nine fillies loaded easily into the gate on the balmy Saturday afternoon here in the Sunshine State. The grandstand tensely waited the beginning of the highlight race of the weekend, to what had already been an exciting day of racing. Within a few seconds the nine fillies were charging out of the starting gates and onto the turf track, which was listed as good at the time of the post for the Panhandle Oaks (G2). Out to an early one and three-fourth length lead on the field was Crushing Ignorance. This chestnut filly by sire Pulpit was fairly new to the world of racing over the turf with only one previous turf experience, and this over an allowance caliber race. The connections of Crushing Ignorance were hoping the beginning of her turf career would be a brilliant one, starting with this first attempt at a graded race over the turf. She was out of the gate and running right on the lead as was expected of the former third place finisher of the Black Middle Flower Stakes (G1) earlier in the year. In second to her outside was Scarlet Red, trained and owned by bandinni. Three and three-fourth lengths behind them in third was paulson owned Miss Sullivan, who was returning to turf in this race after trying her luck over the dirt. The filly, who usually runs on the lead, was setting back some in this race, resigning the pace to Crushing Ignorance and Scarlet Red. Along behind them neck and neck for fourth and fifth was Monsun JR CB (GER), trained by themole who hadn’t had very many successful races recently, but had never finished off the board in any of her off-track turf starts. Right along with her was the race favorite Ara Pacis (FR). Trailing the field early on out of the gates by eight and one-fourth lengths was danmancan trained Someoldtimer, who has had only two starts over the turf in her career, during one of which she finished second in a photo during the listed Ivan Ivankov Stakes. She was running much further back than expected in the race and was trapped between horses.

Crushing Ignorance extended her lead slightly to three and a half lengths over Scarlet Red who will still running to her outside in second. Far behind the two pacesetters we had Miss Sullivan, six lengths off the pace of the leading Crushing Ignorance. Still battling it on for fourth position was Monsun JR CB (GER) and Ara Pacis (FR), now with Monsun JR CB (GER) having a very narrow lead over the other filly. Then lengths off the leader we had the casino owned and trained Single White Pat, who was coming off a disappointing eleventh place finish in her most recent race, the QE2 Challenge (G1). She was being rated right in the middle of the pack as was expected for the chestnut Gone West filly, who was running for the first time over an off track. A length behind her we had To The Choir running along on the rail, her connections banking on the fillies graded stakes experience and a previous off-track win to get her through the race. She too was running along as expected in the middle of the pack. In eighth position was Rattyburg, trained by darnath3. And still trailing the field was Someoldtimer.

Crushing Ignorance was flying now in the later stages of the Panhandle Oaks (G3). She had an astonishing seven and one-fourth length lead on the field. Her nearest competition was Miss Sullivan who had now moved up into second place. Running right along with Miss Sullivan to her inside, dead even and identical in matching their strides was Monsun JR CB (GER). A length behind those two fillies was Scarlet Red who was faltering in the latter stages of the race and was dropping back now, drifting out of contention for the Panhandle Oaks (G3). Making her move towards the outside was Single White Pat who was eight and three-fourth lengths off the pace in fifth now with race favorite Ara Pacis (FR) a good three lengths off of her to the inside. Rattyburg was slowly but surely making up some ground on the nine-horse field. To The Choir was not having her day at all and was also dropping out of the race at this point as the field neared the stretch. Coming into the stretch Someoldtimer still trailed the field by thirteen and three-fourth lengths behind Crushing Ignorance, but the brown Kentucky-bred mare was starting to get into gear as the nine fillies sprinted home.

Going down the stretch Crushing Ignorance had a commanding lead, but it was starting to dwindle as Single White Pat with jockey A. Darling came charging up on the outside trying to catch the zwango trained Crushing Ignorance with W. Graziano aboard. The lead of Crushing Ignorance was quickly getting chipped away, but in the end there wasn’t enough ground for Single White Pat to surpass the wire to wire winner of the race, Crushing Ignorance. Crushing Ignorance won the race in wire to wire fashion by three and one-fourth lengths in 1:47 3/5, tying the stakes record for the race set by Xtra Smart, trained by ejdstable last year. Crushing Ignorance received a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred ten for her effort in the Panhandle Oaks (G3). Single White Pat came home to finish second with Miss Sullivan rounding out our top three finishers.

Also Rans: Monsun JR CB (GER), Rattyburg, Someoldtimer, Ara Pacis (FR), To The Choir and Scarlet Red.

Congratulations to zwango of Black Label Stables for your win with Crushing Ignorance in the Panhandle Oaks (G3). This is tellnotale signing off.