Winner Works Out Inside Trip on Rail
Race: The Skipping Away – Grade III – $150,000
ID: 4267.0213
Track: Florida
Restrictions: All horses, 4 years old and up
Distance: A mile and one eighth on the Dirt
The crowd was in for a very impressive show on Saturday as the Distorted Humor-sired four-year-old colt would make a splash in this years’ Skipping Away (G3), winning the race with 6/1 odds. Though not having horrible odds, the light gray colt Tamination, owned and trained by rocket25 of Rocket22 Stables, beat out many more heavily favored horses for the prize, including super3’s Well Groomed.
The field of a dozen horses took to the track Saturday afternoon and made their way to the starting gate after the post parade. Shreveport, owned by pleasanttap was a little unsettled about going into the gate, but was compelled to go in after a little big of coaxing from jockey A. Blackmore. The rest of the field loaded into the respective gaits without incident. At the break of the race Mastroianni, trained by seveii went out to an early one and three-fourth length lead from the far outside posts. The speedy colt was doing just as predicted and going out and setting the pace early on. Into second position was ceclaim16’s George Jetson, rocketing up towards the front of the pack. Just a quarter length back to his outside Shreveport was relaxing early despite the tense moments leading into loading into the gates. Fairhaven3’s colt Trophy Of Triumph was placed towards the middle as expected, almost between Shreveport and the colt to his inside, Tamination, who was running back slightly further off the pace than was expected early on. Finally a length back off of Tamination was willyam37’s Rock And Fire, definitely further back than the connections likely wanted to see him at the start. Trailing the field in The Skipping Away (G3) early on was the race favorite Well Groomed. No concern here however, as the colt typically runs as a late closer in his races.
Mastroianni continued to lengthen his lead on the rest of the field and at the midway point in the race was leading by two and a quarter lengths over George Jetson in second. Shreveport, the local-bred colt here out of Florida, continued to run along in third, but was starting to loose ground. Trophy Of Triumph continued to run along in behind him with Tamination just off of his flank on the rail, back only a half a length behind Trophy Of Triumph. In sixth was Rock And Fire with Hurrican Carson (FR), trained by phantom2 about a length behind him. The favorite Well Groomed was still trailing the entire field and was back off the pace by fifteen and a half lengths. He was going to have to start moving very soon if he was going to gain some ground on this field.
Coming into the final turn, Tamination, under jockey A. Darling found a hole on the rail that had just opened up and they rocketed through, gaining ground quickly on the front runners, until the duo found themselves in the lead of the race by a quarter of a length over George Jetson who was still in second. Trophy Of Triumph had also found the hole that had opened up and had moved along into third. Pacesetter Mastroianni had faded coming into the turn and was now running in fourth ahead of Rock And Fire, who was also beginning to gain ground. Shreveport was fading out of contention, while Slews Gone Wild, owned by istal6, a late entry into the race was starting to make up some ground in seventh. Dropping back in his pace was Hurrican Carson (FR), a few lengths ahead of lgbost9x’s Heat Equals Tip. Seeming to get nowhere in the race at this point, Hoosick Falls, trained by chloedawg2 was maintaining his position in tenth. Well Groomed had moved up only marginally and obviously was not firing on all four cylinders on Saturday, and would not be making it first to the wire. The overmatched colt George W. Loser, owned by monimonica took his place at the rear of the field, a very well distanced thirty-one and a half lengths off the pace of Tamination.
Coming into the stretch no horse was going to catch Tamination, as the dark gray horse came home to cross the wire in front by two and a half lengths under jockey A. Darling. The four-year-old colt won the race in 1:46 1/5 and set up a bristling final speed figure of one hundred twenty. Trophy Of Triumph was able to breeze past George Jetson, who started to tire in the final furlongs of the race, after having been up so close to the pace early on since the wire. The fairhaven3 colt would finish second, with George Jetston managing to hold on for third with the rest of the field at least four lengths back.
Also Rans: Rock And Fire, Slews Gone Wild, Mastroianni, Shreveport, Hurrican Carson (FR), Heat Equals Tip, Hoosick Falls, Well Groomed and George W. Loser.