Wilshire Stakes (Grade 3)- $100.000 Purse
SA- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
One Mile on the Turf
July 1, 2017

Real Wild Thing, up until this point, had spent her 2017 season at TUP. She raced three times there, and won all three of them, each of which were an allowance. That’s an achievement, but going up to a Grade 3 from that would be a test, but she earned the chance. Her wins at TUP looked good, and if you went back to 2016, you’ll see an ungraded stake win on her resume. The time was now to make the move up, and Real Wild Thing was ready to deliver. She ran near the back most of the way, but like a horse that only knows how to win this year, she poured it on in the stretch to get the victory. The winning trainer is Allinthegate, and it’s the first time that they have won this stake. Aboard the winner, and getting their first win in the race as well, was S Elliott. Congratulations to them! The time of the victory was 1:33.58, the second quickest of the three editions of the race held at SA. Here’s how it played out!

(1/4 Mile- :22.98)- Classic Duet breaks alertly from her outside post for trainer Williams9 and ends up taking about a half-length lead moving into the turn. Pink Beauty, from Gdp Inc, also looks good early and applies the pressure. Nightmare Scare runs third here, a length back, as these three look to pull away from the field in the opening moments of the race. In the middle of the field, they are three wide for fourth with Love Runs Deep (Axeman) holding the rail, Laff It Up (Our Athletes) to her outside, and Get The Girl (John Henry) running three wide. They are three lengths back, and its another length and a half to another threesome, with eventual winner Real Wild Thing on the rail for Allinthegate, Dawl And Bath (TwinTowersRacing) to her outside, and then Fusion Call (Delta Farms) three wide. All Eyes Ahead, from Mb Stables, trailed early.

(½ Mile- :45.81)- On the front end, Classic Duet and Pink Beauty are still going at one another on the front end, but Nightmare Scare has opted not to keep up with them and drops back to be two lengths back. She runs with Love Runs Deep, who held her ground around the opening and moved ahead of the two she had been running with previously. After them, there’s notable gap before you get to the fifth place Get The Girl. She is in a three wide position on the track that is five lengths out of it. Real Wild Thing and Laff It Up are keeping her company at this point. Fusion Call is eighth, and then its Dawl And Bath, who seemed to struggle as they moved into the backstretch. All Eyes Ahead is still at the back.

(3/4 Mile- 1:09.27)- Things were a lot more entertaining towards the back of the field then they were at the front during this portion of the race. On the lead, though, it was still Classic Duet and Pink Beauty going at it on the lead, but the field was closing in. Third place Nightmare Scare pulled to within a length and was preparing to go three wide into the stretch. Massive movement towards the back of the field was beginning as several looked to find their lane and prepare for the stretch run. Love Runs Deep was looking like she might have some traffic trouble while Real Wild Thing seemed to be positioned nicely behind Nightmare Scare. Get The Girl made a move here while All Eyes Ahead made an aggressive move, swinging all the way to the outside, and picked up a couple spots. Laff It Up seemed to be keeping pace. Dawl And Bath had not made a move yet, but had a good lane for potential advancement, and Fusion Call was in tight quarters.

(Finish- 1:33.58)- We end up having a fantastic battle to the finish as the two pacesetters bow out of it. Real Wild Thing was able to use her clear lane to her benefit, and like a filly that has been winning a lot lately, she knew what she had to do in the stretch. She poured it on early, and was poised to hold off all her rivals. However, All Eyes Ahead was not going to let it be easy. She had trailed the field for much of the race, but made a powerful close in the stretch. This charge was valiant, but she would come up just a bit short. Real Wild Thing scores the victory, and All Eyes Ahead settles for second. Nightmare Scare quietly ran a good race in here as well, and finishes 3rd. The fourth place check goes to Pink Beauty who held on just enough in the stretch, edging out Fusion Call, who had a tougher trip. Dawl And Bath ran steady to the wire for sixth, holding off Get The Girl. Classic Duet was unable to keep up in the stretch, and gets an eighth place result to show for his early lead. Laff It Up and Love Runs Deep round out the running order.

About The Winner: Real Wild Thing, trained by Allinthegate, and ridden by S Elliott, is a four year old filly by the late Running Wild, and out of Real Thing. She was bred in Louisiana by Allinthegate, and they have been together throughout! Congratulations to the connections! The win was her seventh in 16 career starts, and also her fourth victory in a row, as well as winning six of her last seven. It is her first graded stake, and it puts her career earnings at $167.650!

Track: Firm
Time: :22⁴  :45⁴  1:09¹  1:33²

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 2 – 9 Paid 19.90
$1 Trifecta: 2 – 9 – 7 Paid 88.60

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES