Latent Ruby Wins Graded Debut Going Wire to Wire

A crowd turned up here in Indiana this past weekend to view the first week of racing in the new year and a three-year-old season debut of fourteen fine horses that would be going to the gates in the six furlong Special Bid Stakes (G3). The race would end in surprise for those in attendance, a new upstart young colt taking away the prize of victory from those favored in early betting. The fourteen horses going to the line this past Saturday had some high hopes riding along with them in the race, for some these hopes were fueled by the results, for others they were crushed, but it was an exciting moment for all who were at the track this past weekend.

Once the fourteen three-year-olds were calmly standing in line at the starting gate, tense moments of anticipation passed for jockey, owner and horse before the gates would crash open and the horses would come galloping out onto the main dirt track. Out to an early lead once the horses were out of the gate was trauma92’s dark gray colt Latent Ruby. The son of Latent Heat of running just as was expected of him at the start of the race, making a run towards the middle of the track and going straight for the lead to show the rest of the field the way by one-fourth of a length over Rare Picture, trained by murray1. Rare Picture was right there in second riding along the rail, his first trip back to stakes caliber races in many months, making his debut graded stakes run in the Special Bid Stakes (G3) that Saturday. Just slightly back by three-fourths of a length and looking for room between the two front runners was the post time favorite of the Special Bid Stakes, Wheresanna, owned by newracing. The favorite was trying to secure his first stakes win over the dirt after achieving the feat over the turf last October. Strung out behind the first three horses were Alberta Riches (JPN) and Tender Cross, owned by shortplay and johnstable respectively, who were both about a length to a length and a half back in the race. Trailing the fourteen horse field early on out of the starting gates in the six furlong sprint was ashleigh’s chestnut colt, Rally Van, who was usually accustomed to running mid-pack but now found himself at the back of the pack in the early furlongs of the race.

Latent Ruby stretched out is lead slightly to a half a length over Rare Picture to his inside on the rail. Favorite Wheresanna was still behind them in third, but had dropped back and was no a length and a half behind the pacesetting Latent Ruby. ovidius’s Sultan was making an early move now up into fifth towards the inside. Alberta Riches (JPN) was to his outside and in fourth position, but with Tender Cross falling rapidly back through the back, looking to be out of the race early on. Also passing by the faltering Tender Cross was kauffmac2’s Punchout. The son of Forestry was expected to be forwardly placed in this race but was not making his best run here in the Special Bid Stakes (G3). Second betting choice Del Penn Dude, owned and trained by topicountc, was making an early move into tenth and was now some five and three-fourth lengths from the leading Latent Ruby. The Kentucky-bred bay colt was running exactly as was expected. Super13’s Super Brave looked like he was out of the race now, falling back from tenth to eleventh and showing signs of fading towards the middle part of the sprint. Rally Van continued to trail the field by eight and three-fourth lengths.

Towards the end of the race, Latent Ruby still held a clear lead of a length and a half over his nearest competition, Rare Picture on the rail. Wheresanna was hanging on gamely to third but had lost more ground on the two horses up front who were running away with the Special Bid Stakes (G3). Out of the back of the pack and roaring up the center of the dirt track came the first-time graded stakes starter Silky Top Hat, owned by river7, who was commanding attention late in the race as he moved forward like a rocket from the rear of the field and went tucked into fourth to challenge the front three runners when they came down to the stretch. Alberta Riches (JPN) was now back in fifth with Sultan right behind by half a length to his inside. Punchout remained near those two running along in seventh. Tender Cross continued to drop back in the race along with Super Brave and jmsstable’s Affirmed Destiny. Del Penn Dude was still moving forward but it wasn’t going to be a win today for the second betting choice, moving to little to late in the six furlong sprint. Hidden Agendas, trained by super29, had also gained some placings in the field, but wasn’t going anywhere quickly in tenth. Ywhipser’s Samurai Spider had run solidly in twelth for the entire race. Rally Van was continuing to trail the field, now back by eleven and one-fourth lengths from Latent Ruby.

The fourteen horses were in the final furlongs in the stretch of the Special Bid Stakes (G3) now and Latent Ruby still held the lead on the field with Rare Picture still running nearly right alongside with him. The only horse within a close enough range showing enough speed to catch the lightning-quick duo was Silky Top Hat who was making that quick run out towards the middle of the track, splitting horses and weaving around the competition. The three entered the final furlongs, only about a length separating them, the majority of the other horses a good length or more back. Rare Picture was beginning to falter in the final furlongs from the chore of keeping up with the wire to wire pace of Latent Ruby and the charging Silky Top Hat quickly overtook the son of second-year sire Any Given Saturday. Now it came down to be between Latent Ruby, the race pacesetter, and Silky Top Hat, the first time stakes horse. In the end, there wasn’t enough speed or enough ground left for Silky Top Hat to take the victory away from Latent Ruby, as the bay colt shot under the wire with jockey L. Huhn to win by a length over Silky Top Hat in second. The time for the race was 1:09 3/5, just a shade over the stakes record. Rare Picture finished three and one-fourth lengths back in third.

Also Rans: Wheresanna, Alberta Riches (JPN), Sultan, Del Penn Dude, Punchout, Hidden Agendas, Samurai Spider (SWE), Tender Cross, Super Brave, Affirmed Destiny and Rally VAn.

Congratulations to trauma92 of Keely’s Stables for your win with Latent Ruby in the Special Bid Stakes (G3). This is tellnotale signing off.