Rode Me Hard Puts In Bullet Race in Panhandle Derby

In a week of light stakes racing, some attention was no doubt turned here to Florida for the Grade III Panhandle Derby this past weekend. The race, which offers a total purse of $175,000 is run over a mile and one eighth over the turf and is open to all three-year-old horse. A full field was registered for this years’ race, and all was well as the fourteen Thoroughbreds excitedly made their way to the start gates this past Saturday on the inner turf track, which was rated as firm despite some showers a few days prior. Rode Me Hard, owned by 40oz and Northern Bay II, trained by supapogs9 were rated as co-favorites for the race when post positions were called in on Wednesday. However, by the time the field went to the gate on Saturday Northern Bay II was given a slight edge by the bettors to make him the post-time favorite of the Panhandle Derby (G3). However, at the end of the race, it was the second choice pick, Rode Me Hard that came through to pull off the win here in Florida.

When the field took off out of the gates the estreet owned and trained colt, Words And Music took a bold lead early on as was expected of the roan colt. He was two and three-fourth lengths in the lead out of the gate, trailed most closely by stakes’s colt, Pro Groom Ted on the rail. Pro Groom Ted was also running well and to form as expected in this race, lying right off the pace set by Words And Music out of the gate. Three lengths back in third was Enchanters Endgame, trained by alverton. The roan colt was hugging the rail out of the gate and running as expected near the lead. Running along back in fourth and fifth position was the favorite Northern Bay II in fourth with fortune500’s Goldfriars (AUS) along in fifth. Both of these horses were running a little more forwardly than expected here in the Panhandle Derby (G3). Trailing the fourteen horse field early on in the race was the Japanese-bred colt Pleasant Emblem (JPN), owned and trained by koolaid, who was running nine and three-fourth lengths off the early pace of Words And Music on the lead.

At the halfway point of the race, Words And Music had managed to lengthen his lead on the field to four and a half lengths. There’d been some battling further back in the pack of horses and Enchanters Endgame now secured the second post position, continuing to run on the rail and hoping to be able to sneak by Words And Music through the opening. Pro Groom Ted was now in third and already showing signs of laboring through the race and drifting out. Favorite Northern Bay II was still secure in fourth. Sneaking up between horses in the middle of the track to settle for fifth position now was second betting choice Rode Me Hard with Goldfriars (AUS) slipping back into sixth and also showing some wear and fatigue at this point in the race. Also dropping back at the midway point was stormcat55’s Franklin Terrace (IRE), who was now nine and one-fourth lengths off the pace in seventh position in the middle of the pack. Tajima Hall, owned and trained by fenceeater, was running back in eighth waiting for his opening. Moving up quickly from the back of the pack towards the inside of the track was nofear’s colt, Ungroomed (IRE), the longshot, who was working out an excellent trip so far in the race. Lexi’s Smile, trained by claybornfa was running solidly in tenth towards the outside of horses. I Don’t Give A Dan (ENG), owned by tyedye was beginning to drop back in the field, just to the inside of Lexi’s Smile. Running consistently side by side towards the rear of the field was victoria’s Pasame La Botella (ENG) and theoc2’s longshot colt Farewell O.C.. Still trailing the field at this midway point was Pleasant Emblem (JPN).

The lead by roan colt Words And Music was beginning to fade in the final turn before the stretch as the late-running horses began to eat into it with every stride. He was now only two lengths in the lead over Enchanters Endgame who was coming up quickly on the rail. Favorite Northern Bay II was right along with them as well in third and looking to challenge up the middle of the track. Not even a length off of the outside flank of Northern Bay II was Rode Me Hard, who was running hard through the turn and putting in a monster run late in the race to try to overtake the tiring pacesetters. Tajima Hall had moved up into fifth on the outside with the longshot Ungroomed (IRE) also making a giant run and now finding himself in sixth position. Pro Groom Ted was well off the pace now in seventh, just in front of Franklin Terrace and Lexi’s Smile who were battling it out between eighth and ninth towards the middle of the track, boxed between horses. Goldfriars (AUS) was now twelve lengths off the pace with the English-bred colt Pasame La Botella (ENG) and I Don’t Give A Dan (ENG) just a length behind him as they neared the stretch. Pleasant Emblem (JPN) was finally starting to get into gear and was now running in twelfth. Now trailing the field as the fourteen horses came dashing for home was Farewell O.C.

Words And Music was trying to dig in for more as they made their move into the stretch but all his speed and stretch was sapped after his amazing rush out of the gate into first. All jockey S. Popo could hope is that his colt, Words And Music would be able to hold on to the lead until the wire. Enchanters Endgame was close on them but Rode Me Hard was running like a rocket down the stretch, splitting Words And Music and Enchanters Endgame to take the lead and start going away. Race favorite Northern Bay II was also making a quick run but he wasn’t going to have room as longshot Ungroomed (IRE) surged past him in the final furlongs, pushing him out of on-the-board contention. At the wire it was a clear victory by Rode Me Hard and jockey W. Case, who won the race by two lengths in 1:47 2/5 with a speed figure of one hundred twelve. The duo just missed fracturing the previous track record held by Cougar Bite by just fractions of seconds. Coming home for second was Enchanters Endgame with the surprising longshot, Ungroomed (IRE), rounding out the top three finishers.

Also Rans: Northern Bay II, Tajima Hall, Words And Music, Lexi’s Smile, Franklin Terrace (IRE). Pleasant Emblem (JPN), Pro Groom Ted, I Don’t Give A Dan (ENG), Pasame La Botella (ENG), Farewell O.C. and Goldfriars (AUS).

Congratulations 40oz of Team DOZA Racing Stables for your win with Rode Me Hard in the Panhandle Derby (G3). This is tellnotale signing off.