Smile Sprint Handicap (BC) (Grade 3)- $250.000 Purse
GP- For Three Year Olds and Upward
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
July 1, 2017

Trainer Our Athletes was happy to land Air Show back in his stable for $100.000 in private sales after initially selling him to Australia Wide for $250.000. So, on that alone it was a $150.000 win. Air Show showed promise early in his career, but would come up a bit short in big races, and that likely led to the sale for a good amount of money. Australia Wide was unable to get a graded win out of him either, with just one win (an allowance) in six starts, before Our Athletes bought him back for less then half what he got for him. They found immediate success, but still that graded stake win was his achilles heel. He just could not get that big win. Such is why he went off at odds of 12/1 today, it’s not as if people thought he was a bad horse, he just had not been able to prove he could win one of these. Finally, in the Smile Sprint, he can get that nagging money off his back, as he scores the win! It’s the first win in the stake for both the trainer, and the jockey, V Espinoza. Congratulations to them! The time of the victory was 1:08.73, the quickest of the three races run at GP. Here’s how it happened!

(1/4 Mile- :22.37)- From the outside, Assvolts (Namor Farms) breaks well out of the gate, and so to does On High Alert (Mb Stables). This would put these two out in front down the backstretch, matching each other stride for stride. Their lead was nearly two lengths on Winter Is Coming, from D J C Racing Stables. He stalked the leaders, and behind him, there were three of them running together. Double C (Team 7 Illusions) had the rail amongst this group, with King Of Sparta (Angelos Stable) in the middle, and our eventual winner, Air Show, on the outside. They were three lengths off the lead. Next up was Phooeys Gold, from Scarletandgraystable, with Dang (John Henry) on the rail behind him. Trailing the field were Sindaco di Firenze (Night Rider Stables), and Silver Setbus (Ekli Stable).

(½ Mile- :44.91, Top Of Stretch)- Over the course of the backstretch run, and into the turn, On High Alert begins to pull away from Assvolts, though new challengers begin to emerge in the form of Winter Is Coming, and Air Show. Assvolts was not poor at this point, but did look as though he was not able to run with the frontrunners any longer. Winter Is Coming simply ran consistently, and kept himself in range to make the winning move. Air Show, having been on the outside previously, was able to use that clear lane to his benefit and progressed around the turn. He was four wide, but had just a little over a length to make up now. Double C stayed on the rail, but was not moving forward, and the same held true for King Of Sparta, who was to his outside. Phooeys Gold and Dang also were not moving forward, and at the back it was still Sindaco di Firenze and Silver Setbus.

(Finish- 1:08.73)- Into the top of the stretch, Air Show kicked it into gear and a nice battle emerged between he and Winter Is Coming. On High Alert tried to hang on and seemed as though he could keep third. In the final strides, Air Show and Winter Is Coming went at one another hard, and both should be commended for their effort. In the end, it would be Air Show by a neck, and Winter is Coming gets second. On High Alert ends up fourth, because out of absolutely no where Sindaco di Firenze was flying on the outside, and got up for third. Nice effort by that one, there was no one better in the stretch, but he ran out of time. After him, we get the pack, with Dang nipping Silver Setbus at the wire for fifth. Double C stayed glued to the rail the whole race, but did little in his 7th place finish, slightly better then Assvolts. King Of Sparta and Phooeys Gold round out the finish.

About the Winner: Air Show, trained by Our Athletes and ridden by V Espinoza, is a four year old gelding by Arian and out of Barely Winter. He was bred in Kentucky by Team 7 Illusions as a second quarter two year old, and was acquired unraced by Our Athletes in private sales for $30.770. After 9 races, he was sold to Australia Wide for $250.000, where he raced six times before being re-acquired by Our Athletes, for $100.000. Congratulations to the connections! It is his fifth win in 22 starts, and first graded win in his 11th attempt. Career earnings now sit at $428.120.

Track: Fast
Time: :22¹  :44⁴  :56³  1:08³

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 5 – 6 Paid 343.40
$1 Trifecta: 5 – 6 – 8 Paid 1,271.70

Scratched: Dark Phooey

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES