13/1 Shot Scores Upset in Duetoburst Stakes

A full field of fourteen horses went to the post this past weekend for the seven furlong Duetoburst Stakes (G1) for two-year-old horses. The race was immediately following the highlight race of the day, the Eclipse Stakes (G1) which had gone off some minutes before the juveniles would take the track in the Duetoburst Stakes (G1). The area was indeed foggy on the Saturday morning of the race, but these conditions cleared up by the time the races started in the afternoon, leaving the full field of two-year-olds to run unhindered over the seven furlong turf course. The field of fourteen loaded into the gate on Saturday with Brave Ulysses, owned by clapton balking going into the gate, though attendants finally managed to coax the chestnut Kentucky-bred colt into his post on the rail. When the horses made it to the post Tycoon Wells (FR), trained by chloedawg3 was still the favorite for the race.

When the fourteen juveniles broke out of the gate it was Brave Ulysses, who was hesitant to go into the gate early on that took a narrow lead over Awesome Twofive (IRE), trained and owned by bicuspid. Brave Ulysses was running just as expected early on in the race, going straight to the lead on the inside. Awesome Twofive also a confirmed speedball, was racing just to his outside, only surrendering the barest of noses to just narrowly place him officially in second out of the gate. A length behind the two front runners going along in third was the race favorite Tycoon Wells (FR), who was also running just as predicted, following the main pace out of the gates and into the rest of the race, hoping to have a good setup later to zoom past the two tiring runners. Back neck and neck in fourth and fifth position was rologans’ Wake Up Sun (JPN) and bestobene3’s Nuits Magiques (ENG), who were battling it out with the two bunched up too closely together to make a call on a definite leader between the two. Wake Up Sun (JPN) was running just as expected early on with the connections of Nuits Magiques (ENG) obviously deciding to run the chestnut colt further up on the pace today. Two lengths back to the outside in sixth position was Kiffer (ENG), trained by zambaygo2. Last out of the gate early on in the race and trailing Brave Ulysses by four and three-fourth lengths early on was lilfrenchy’s chestnut colt Captain Brees.

Moving through the race Brave Ulysses, running in his first turf race, quickly gave up the lead to a persistent Awesome Twofive (IRE) that kept running at him on the outside. Awesome Twofive (IRE) was now leading the field by half a length with Brave Ulysses behind him and fading, possibly struggling with the new turf surface. Favorite Tycoon Wells (FR) was still running along in third position. Nuits Magiques (ENG) had finally got a slight lead to the inside over Wake Up Sun (JPN). Kiffer (ENG) continued to run on in sixth with Spawn Of The Devil (IRE), trained by tihsho running just off of his flank to the inside. Two lengths back from Spawn Of The Devil (IRE) was our eighth place runner, five lengths off the leader, papaxerxes’ trained and owned Wirbel IRE). Come from behind runner, At The Cross, raced under celticcross was already starting to make an early move in the race and was now in ninth going around horse on the outside in the fist graded start of his career. Off to his flank on the inside was Tobyhanna, trained by lieut60. Falling back and fading in the race now was kauffmac1’s Valorite who was now five and three-fourth lengths off the lead of Awesome Twofive. Dropping back with him was the alydar6812 raced Star Jet. Australian-bred Plainsong (AUS), trained by tylorpride was running in lucky thirteen with Captain Brees still trailing the field, now by seven and one-half lengths.

Continuing to up the pace was Awesome Twofive still up on the lead and now leading his closet challenger by two and one-fourth lengths as the field made their way into the turn before they would come into the stretch down to the wire. In that second position and closing in was Nuits Magiques (ENG) who was looking for an opening to appear towards the inside of the track in which to shoot through. Tycoon Wells (FR) was two and one half lengths back on third to the outside. However, blazing like a speeding bullet going around horses to the extreme outside of the track was Tobyhanna, coming up quickly on the other horses as they made their way through the turn. Right off of his flank to the inside also coming up quickly was At The Cross. The rest of the field stretched out behind with Valorite now trailing the field by ten lengths a they came for home.

Awesome Twofive was fighting but struggling to hold onto his lead after showing the way for the rest of the field the majority of the race. The two-year-old by freshman sire sensation Dylan Thomas (IRE) tried valiantly to hang on to the lead but in the end the colt had no gas left in the tank. Both Tobyhanna and At The Cross flew by him on the colts outside. It would become a showdown between these two colts down through the stretch. For a few seconds the two were neck and neck running towards the wire but then Tobyhanna surged ahead in the final few furlongs and would not be caught. Tobyhanna, trained by lieut60, under jockey T. Heck, went on to win the Duetoburst Stakes (G1) by one and one-fourth lengths in 1:22 4/5, just missing the track record as the colt posted a lifetime best speed figure of ninety-six. Coming in for second was At The Cross with the pacesetting Awesome Twofive (IRE) settling for third.

Also rans: Nuits Magiques (ENG), Tycoon Wells (FR), Kiffer (ENG), Spawn Of The Devil (IRE), Wirbel (IRE), Captain Brees, Star Jet, Wake Up Sun (JPN), Plainsong (AUS), Brave Ulysses, and Valorite.

Congratulations to lieut60 of Smubs Stables for your win with Tobyhanna in the Duetoburst Stakes (G1). This is tellnotale signing off.