1/30/2021

  6   SA      San Pasqual Stakes (GII) 

            $200.000     4yo&Up     1 1/8m   Dirt         123lbs +penalties

Kaaabooom!  95/1 shot Mintmach raced midpack early, then continued to move through the field, hitting the lead late and going under the wire in front by a length, upsetting the San Pasqual Stakes (GII), and showing that the five year old certainly isn’t ready to go away quite yet.  Post time favorite Groovy ran another big race, setting the pace throughout but settling for the place, two lengths in front of Dirty Kruz in third.  No More Haggis closed to be fourth in the field of eight.

The field got away from the gate with Groovy showing his normal early speed, Machine Gun Tommy and Orion Nebula along the inside, Dirty Kruz on the outside of that pair.  Then a gap back to Shadow Man, Mintmach on his flank, back down to the rail for High Fives and No More Haggis was the early trailer.

Around the clubhouse turn and onto the back wide with a bit more than five and a half furlongs to run and Groovy continued to show the way by a length.  Machine Gun Tommy continuing to give chase from the rail, Dirty Kruz and Orion Nebula pressing the pace, Mintmach just in behind them, then a gap to Shadow Man on the outside of High Fives as No More Haggis continued to be the back marker.

Down the backside and into the far turn with three furlongs to run and Groovy had opened up and two and a half length lead.  A trio of chasers in Machine Gun Tommy, Dirty Kruz between horses and Mintmach up to make it three across the track, then a gap of two back to Orion Nebula, High Fives towards the rail, No More Haggis three wide and Shadow Man drifting back to the back of the pack.

The made their way around the far turn and into the lane, moving past the furlong marker and Groovy continued to show the way along the rail, but Mintmach was full of run and closing in down the center of the track.  Dirty Kruz trying to find more, Machine Gun Tommy towards his inside, No More Haggis trying to close from the outside, Orion Nebula next to that one, High Fives not responding from the rail and Shadow Man.

Deep stretch and to the finish, Mintmach was full of run and went right on past Groovy as the neared the final 150-yards, and he was not to be denied today, taking the win.  Groovy was a game second, Dirty Kruz hanging on to take third from the hard closing No More Haggis.  Machine Gun Tommy was fifth, High Fives sixth, Orion Nebula seven and Shadow Man closed this one out.

Mintmach is a 5yo bay gelded son of Mint Slicer – Pink Mach, by Level Headed Mach, and he was bred by Australia Racing in WV.  This was his sixth win from twenty starts and he now has lifetime earnings of $578.540, and when you see his three wins and three other on-the-board efforts last season, it makes you wonder how we went off at these odds, and being a $10.000 claim, his lore will go on long after his racing days are done, and that doesn’t seem to be anytime soon. 

$2 Mutuel Prices:

Track: Fast            Time: :47³  1:11¹  1:35¹  1:47²
$1 Exacta: 7 – 6 Paid 285.50           $1 Trifecta: 7 – 6 – 5 Paid 1,615.80
Scratched: None

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES