Favorite Scores in Buck Dharma

Race: Buck Dharma Handicap – Grade II – $150,000
ID: 4204.0209
Track: Florida
Restrictions: All horses, 4 years old and up
Distance: A mile and three eighths on the Turf

This past weekend the Buck Dharma Handicap (G2) returned to Florida, headlining a major weekend of stakes races for the start with the Sunny Millions series also going off this past weekend. The Buck Dharma Handicap (G2) did not attract a very big field, only half a dozen horses, but it would be an exciting race. Despite the early attention paid to hihosilver’s Tour Escourt and poppoptwo’s Rev’s Ransom (ENG) it would be Title Defense that would go to the gates on Saturday as the post time favorite for the mile and three eighths turf race. Both Tour Escourt and afc3’s Remember Pops were balky about going into the gate, but were eventually loaded in.

At the start of the race it was Rev’s Ransom (ENG) who broke first and burst into an impressive five and three-fourth length lead over Remember Pops. The chestnut horse, Rev’s Ransom (ENG) was no surprise taking the lead early on with as speedy as the six-year-old usually is out of the gate. Remember Pops wasn’t out of place second in the running either. A length behind Remember Pops towards the outside was Sake, owned and trained by 2tohold. This five-year-old mare was also running exactly as expected, tucked in right behind Rev’s Ransom (ENG) and Remember Pops. Not far off her flank was the other mare in the race, Gai, trained by tulloch. Tour Escourt has hanging out towards the rear of the six horse field. This was unusual for the six-year-old chestnut, who was usually held right off the pace of a few front runners. Trailing the field early on was futurestar’s Title Defense.

Rev’s Ransom (ENG) continued to move on like a rocket, lengthening his stride and increasing his leading margin to an astounding nine lengths on the field. It seemed like the rest of the field was in its own race nine lengths back with Remember Pops leading that charge with the mare Sake now just three-fourths of a length off of his flank to the outside. Gai ran a length or so back with Tour Escourt trailing by another length. Title Defense was well off the lightening pace at the back of the pack, trailing Rev’s Ransom (ENG) by thirteen and a half lengths.

As the field neared the stretch run of the turf route the field had finally started to make an attempt at catching up with Rev’s Ransom (ENG). The six-year-old chestnut was starting to slow down now as they neared the latter stages of the race, and now held a lead of seven and a quarter lengths with the field behind him gaining. Tour Escourt, going around horses the entire time, had made a big move and had moved up into second, the closest challenger to Rev’s Ransom (ENG). Moving right along with him from the back of the pack and moving like a freight train towards the finish was Title Defense. Their jockeys conserving the horses’ energy was certainly paying off as the field entered the stretch. Gai maintained position in fourth while the other mare Sake and Remember Pops faded back to fifth and sixth, done out by the intense early speed in the race.

Rev’s Ransom (ENG) only had to hold out to the wire, but that was going to be easier said than done with the amazing speed the chestnut had put on at the beginning of the race and both Tour Escourt and Title Defense were moving quick looking to bypass him on the outside. It wasn’t to be for Rev’s Ransom (ENG) as he quickly gave way to the more energy-conserved duo that was chasing him down. It would come down to a dual between the six-year-old veteran and the four-year-old youngster. In the final furlongs, Title Defense, the youngster, pulled ahead of his counterpart, and ultimately crossed the wire half a length in front under jockey V. Gardner. The bay colt sired by Awesome Again set a speed figure of one hundred nine. Tour Escourt settled for second and Rev’s Ransom (ENG) rounded out the top three for third.

Also Rans: Gai, Sake, and Remember Pops.