Kissin Streetcry Defies Odds and Wins Another Grade 1
Race : California Handicap – Grade I – $1,000,000
ID: 3875.0113Track : California
Restrictions : All horses, 4 years old and up
Distance : A mile and one quarter on the Dirt
The million dollar California Handicap (G1) concluded this weekend with last years Bluegrass Derby (G1) and New Yorker (G1) winner going on to win yet another prestigous race. Sherwood trained colt Kissin Streetcry coming through to win the renouned race in an upset at odds of 8/1. The four-year-old son of top sire Street Cry (IRE) won the mile and one quarter Grade 1 dirt race by one and a half lengths under jockey F. Gossett. This win by Kissin Streetcry shattered the previous existing speed record for the California Handicap (G1) by a few fractions of seconds that was previously set in 2007.
There was a full field that went to the gate in the California Handicap (G1) this weekend, all very talented colts and older horses that would be battling it out over the main dirt track in California for one of the most watched races in the state for the past weekend. Once the fourteen seasoned veterans loaded into the starting gate on the sunny Saturday afternoon, the tense seconds of waiting came until the gates would crash open and the fourteen colts would fly out onto the track. Once the horses were out on the track and running, taking the lead early on out of the gate was the second betting choice for the California Handicap (G1), Silvergore, trained by bigarnie. The colt ,at odds of 7/1 was holding a slight head lead over Flaming Pyre, owned by xanderman. Both these two colts were proven speedsters, though this race would mark the first time in his racing career in which Flaming Pyre would not hold the lead going out of the gate. One and a half lengths off this duo towards the inside in third was superdog7’s colt Johnny Attack (KOR). Another three lengths back was the very-consistent colt Silver Star Road, running for trainer onyourmark. Right off his flank to the outside in fifth place was fairhaven3’s Trophy Of Triumph. Both of them were running just off the pace in the race as was expected they might do. Trailing the field at this early point in the race at ten lengths off the pace of Silvergore was Andrew John, trained and owned by sonofaus. The five-year-old son of top sire A.P. Indy had definiately shown up here in the California Handicap (G1) exhibiting his trademark come-from-behind running style.
Silvergore managed to increase his lead over Flaming Pyre to one and one-fourth lengths. Flaming Pyre was starting to fall back at this early point in the race, unaccustomed to having to surrender the lead to another horse. Johnny Attack (KOR) was still running in third but had also been put away by the ever extending stride of Silvergore. The Korean horse was now trailing the leader by three and one-fourth lengths. Still in their same positions in fourth and fifth were Silver Star Road and Trophy Of Triumph, who was further back now, a few lengths off of Silver Star Road. Making an early move from towards the back of the field and no making an inside move to find himself in sixth place the well-decorated colt Kissin Streetcry. Mook’s colt, the race favorite, Non Negative was currently running nine and one-fourth lengths behind Silvergore in seventh. Continuing to trail the field at this point by an ever widening gap was Andrew John.
As the field made their way into turn before they came down the stretch Silvergore still continued to maintain a lead of two and three-fourth lengths over Silver Star Road, who had overtaken some horses in the backstretch and moved up into second while riding the rail. Continuing his move up in the backstretch, Kissin Streetcry found himself in perfect striking position running in third, just four lengths to the inside of Silvergore. Making a big run from far back in the field and coming on strongly in fourth place was the four-year-old shocker Seven More Days, trained by fromtheu. Making his move right along with him was the favorite Non Negative. Flaming Pyre had fallen back to sixth on the far outside and was well out of the running for the California Handicap (G1). Also falling back badly in the latter stages of the race was the Korean-bred colt Johnny Attack (KOR). In eighth and continuing to fall back further in the field towards the rail was off-the-pace runner Trophy Of Triumph. Sdoza’s colt had started out towards the rear of the field but now Sakh Of Doja (ENG) was now making a move in the turn and had went from near the back of the pack and into ninth, finding room weaving between horses. Andrew John was staring to get into gear but was moving slowly through the turn, saving his speed for the stretch. Shamalangadingdong, trained by stormcat55, hadn’t been in contention for much of the race and things weren’t getting much better for the colt as he was now running in eleventh, losing ground in the mile and a quarter race. In the same predicament, Student Of Eros, owned and trained by jbfarms, was running in twelth. A crowd favorite due to his past racing accomplishments, former Bluegrass Derby winner Ermington Pegasus, owned by pigeon3 was back in thirteenth in the race and struggling. Trailing the field as they came for home by fourteen and one-fourth lengths was topiccountc’s colt Tournament.
As the fourteen colts made their way for the wire at the end of the grueling dirt race the crowd gathered held their breath in anticipation of a spectacular finish. Silvergore held the lead but was quickly fading towards the center of the track. Meanwhile, three other colts, mainly Kissin Streetcry and Silver Star Road were pouring on the steam and were becoming a real threat to the laboring Silvergore. Seven More Days was also in the running for getting a piece of the prize money as well as a trio of other horses. Silvergore couldn’t hold up to the onslaught of horses running hard coming from behind and quickly fell the the wayside, overtaken by four other colts in the final furlongs of the stretch. Kissin Streetcry outshined them all in the stretch, powering ahead in a powerful stretch drive to win the race by one and a half lengths. Consistency paid off for Silver Star Road as the colt went on to finish second with Seven More Days in third.
Also rans: Andrew John, Silvergore, Sakh Of Doja (ENG), Non Negative, Trophy Of Triumph, Ermington Pegasus, Shamalangadingdong, Studet Of Eros, Tournament, Johnny Attack (KOR) and Flaming Pyre.