Former Claimer Wins Graded Race
The Jamie Pasqual
Grade II
A mile and one sixteenth on the Fast Dirt Course
$150,000
All horses, 4 years old and up
Stakes record – 2010 – ROBUST, 1:41-2/5, SPF 109.509
We were looking for a story book ending in The Jamie Pasqual G1 this weekend and in a manner of speaking we may have seen two of them. SHOOK LOOSE was chosen in my preview to go from a recent claimer to a Graded winner but could only respond with a second place showing in this one after building a substantial lead. In a thrilling finish ROBUST came from over 12 lengths back to win his first race in nine months here in California this weekend.
Although he went off as the longest odds in the field, ROBUST under top jockey Gossett ran an inspired race that allowed him to win his second Graded race. He is another former claimer that the Pilgrim Stables got back in late 2008 for only $40k. He had a solid 2009 season but had slipped a little his last couple of races and many thought that he had hit the downhill skid as he was turning five years old. Evidently, he was saving it up for the new 2K10 season and started it off with a bang. He now has nearly three quarters of a million in earnings and a huge paycheck for trainer Pilgrim5. He set the stakes record for the inaugural race with a formidable 109.5 SPF and improved his rank to number fifteen in the classic class.
It appeared throughout the race that my pre race feel good story would come true as recent claimer SHOOK LOOSE took the early lead followed closely by PAINTED ROCKS . “Rocks” couldn’t hold up to the fast pace and dropped way down at the finish. ROBUST was next to last and as far back as twelve lengths during the race. He put on a furious charge and just caught SHOOK LOOSE at the wire. He was followed up the stretch by BAD’S ROCKET who just didn’t have enough to finish and ended up third. Every horse but one in the race put up an SPF of at least 101 in the tightly knit group at the end. Morning Line favorite K’S BRANDERBURGH ran a solid but uninspired race and finished sixth.
We were looking for a claimer to win a Graded and we got one, just not quite as recent as we thought. It appears that both ROBUST and SHOOK LOOSE give us good reason to comb through those claiming lists and find those diamonds in the rough like these two.
Good luck to all runners!
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