It’s not who’s first out of the gate, who sets the pace or who’s leading at the top of the lane… it’s who hits the wire first, and Chit Chat proved that point all too well in Friday’s Phoenix (GIII) at KEE.  In the rear for most of this 6f sprint, with an automatic ticket to BC Day, the black 3yo colt flew past everyone down the lane and hit the wire first by the slimmest of margins in a final time of 1:09.06.  Brutal was second, taking a brutal beat, with Hathersage a length back in third.

The field got away from the gate in good order with  Just A Chance away quickly, Video Master from the outside, Tophatbigcigar, Hathersage and Quasi Normal, Claim Your Prize, Baffle and Brutal from the inside, Shelby Mustang from the far outside and Chit Chat was away slowest of all.

Down the backside, three and a half furlongs to run, and as the field went past the four and a half furlong chute, Just A Chance showed the way by a length.  Video Master giving chase five wide, Quasi Normal a length back, Tophatbigcigar towards his inside and Baffle from the rail.  Another length back to Hathersage, Claim Your Prize two lengths behind that one, Brutal next to him, Chit Chat four wide and three more back to Shelby Mustang, eight lengths cover the field.

Around the far turn and to the top of the lane…  just like clockwork they bunched up to go past the three-sixteenths pole for the run to the wire.  Just A Chance was now looking at Video Master as that one moved up from the center of the track.  Quasi Normal and Tophatbigcigar between that pair, Baffle from the rail, Hathersage and Chit Chat wide, Brutal with a clear run at them, Claim Your Prize back towards the inside and Shelby Mustang five lengths from the leader and it was time to get going.

Past the sixteenth pole, Brutal up to take the lead by a neck, Chit Chat, widest of all, now full of run, Quasi Norma, Hathersage and Video Master between that pair, Just A Chance and Baffle from the rail, Claim Your Prize and Tophatebigcigar outside of that pair and a wide Shelby Mustang starting to pick it up.

Now inside the final 150-yards and to the finish… Brutal and Chit Chat, eye to eye, nose to nose… the others just fighting it out for the minor money as this was a two-horse race to the wire. As they hit the wire it was a bang-bang finish and the PHOTO sign went up on the tote board.  After viewing the instant video replay, Chit Chat was just a hair quicker to the wire and took the victory.  Brutal in a brutal beat in second, then Hathersage in third.  Quasi Normal took the minor money, then Shelby Mustang closing to be fifth, Video Master in sixth, Claim Your Prize seventh, Baffle in eighth, Just A Chance in ninth and Tophatbigcigar closed this one out.

Chit Chat is a 3yo black colt by Charley Farley – Revoltsosa by HRP-Nearactic, and he was bred by his owner, Team 7 Illusions, in California.  This was his fifth win from fifteen starts, and he now has $567.580 in earnings.  This colt seems to be in his best form ever, and isn’t it a great time with Championship Day right around the corner!

$2 Mutuel Prices:

Track: Fast           Time: :22¹  :45   :57   1:09
$1 Exacta: 8 – 3 Paid 22.30     $1 Trifecta: 8 – 3 – 6 Paid 79.20
Scratched: Bonsai Gullis

Categories: Grade III