Veteran Stampedes Home for Shocking Buck Dharma Win

Race: Buck Dharma Handicap – Grade III – $125,000
Track: Louisiana
Restrictions: All horses, 3 years old and up
Distance: A mile and three eights over the turf

Despite the backside build up of a showdown between turf king Wrecking Crew (IRE), owned by lenny3 and camry’s new-to-the-turf dirt star, Awesome Force in Saturday’s Buck Dharma Handicap (G3), another horse ended up stealing the show. This horse would be the nine year old veteran, Monte Youn (IRE), trained by monte1, now winning two races back to back in his most recent starts. The light gray horse was the first to reach the wire on Saturday, leading the field by an impressive four lengths at the finish under jockey M. Bailey to finish the mile and three eighths turf course in 2:14 1/5.

At the start of the race, Monte Youn (IRE) showed tremendous speed as he burst quickly out of the far outside post position to try to get the best jump on the rest of the field. He strode out to a two and three-fourth length lead early on over the dark gray colt, Chantenay (IRE), trained by slewdown. The two gray horses were literally running away with the Buck Dharma Handicap (G3) right out of the gate and showing increasing speed from the box. Echotime’s Nomadic Tribe ran a far distant third, seven and one fourth lengths behind the two front runners. Though nearly all attention was turned on the stampeding Chantenay (IRE) and Monte Youn (IRE), anticipation was also still waiting for the moves of Awesome Force, if he should handle the turf, and Wrecking Crew (IRE), the crowd still expecting the showdown between the two horses, both of whom were running well off the pace towards the middle of the pack. Centeo (ENG), owned by zoshka was off a beat slow out of the gate and trailed the field by thirteen lengths.

Monte Youn (IRE) and Chantenay continued to stretch out their lead on the field, now running eleven and a half lengths in front of Nomadic Tribe. The two gray horses were running right side by side now, with Monte Youn (IRE) to the outside of the nearly black colt, Chantenay. Cozzene Affair, owned and trained by crandyiv was bidding his time in fourth right along with Nomadic Tribe, just a half length behind to his outside. Nuemaya’s colt, Perfect Son, though running in fifth position was a staggering fourteen and one-fourth lengths back.

Almost impossibly, as the horses neared the turn into the stretch, Monte Youn (IRE) and Chantenay (IRE) were completely leaving the pack in their dust, lengthening to an astounding ten and one-fourth length lead over Nomadic Tribe an unbelievable spread of thirty lengths separating first and last in the race. However, you could start to tell that the mad dash to the front was starting to take its toll on the two gray horses at the front of the pack as they began to make their way towards the wire at the end of the mile and three eighths. Monte Youn’s (IRE) lead was starting to dwindle as the calvary charge that takes place at the wire began to close ground between them and the two speedballs.

Into the stretch Chantenay quickly gave way to the closers who were no trying to move in on Monte Youn (IRE). Awesome Force, who was obviously enjoying his first experience over the lawn was gaining ground rapidly in second with Wrecking Crew (IRE) right behind him, back by only two lengths off of Awesome Force. It looked to be the showdown between the two heavyweights that everyone in the crowd was expecting, if only they could catch Monte Youn (IRE). Though the light gray veteran was slowing down from the wear in the grueling race, he still had a good lead that would be tough for anyone else in the filed to be able to make up the amount of ground needed to come off with a win. Perfect Son was also starting to rally in the stretch now after being held just off the pace, trying to make a bid to hit the board in the Buck Dharma Handicap (G3). Most of the horses were beginning to close in now and pick up the pace, while Inviero, trained by hornfrog2, paceman2’s Refuse To Cry (IRE) and Flash Hero, owned by bigbro were all dropping out of it, all three more than twenty lengths off the pace of Monte Youn (IRE).

The only horses that might have had a chance to catch Monte Youn (IRE) down the stretch were Awesome Force and Wrecking Crew (IRE), but it wasn’t to be this weekend as the nine year old light gray horse managed to hold on to his second consecutive win by about four lengths over Awesome Force to tie the stakes record. Wrecking Crew (IRE) finished third.

Also Rans: Perfect Son, Winter Quest (ENG), Cozzene Affaire, Nomadic Tribe, Woodland Cat, Centeo (ENG), Chantenay (IRE), Invierno, Refuse To Cry (IRE) and Flash Hero.