Grand Prix American JC ($300.000 Purse)
BEL- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Half on the Dirt
September 18, 2021

Cross The Stars has had a good season up to this point, hitting the board in all but one of the races he was in. In the Grand Prix American JC, this gelding by Crossing The Rubicon would run more than nine furlongs for the first time, and it is safe to say that it went very well. He was near the front for most of the way, and made the pass for the win in the stretch to earn the biggest victory of his career. This was only the second time that the race has been run, so it is the first win in the stake for the trainer, Mo Mentum Farm, as well as for the jockey, P Lopez. Congratulations to them! The race was run in a time of 2:29.91. Here’s a look at it!

(½ Mile- :49.49)- Talladega did not need any drafting help to get out to the lead, pushing right to the front directly from the gate for Arindel. He would lead the way down the frontstretch the first time and into the clubhouse turn while holding an advantage of about two lengths. There was a group of four right behind them, and the horse on the outside there, Night Rider Stables- trained Obeah Mon, took the long way around the opening turn to be second. Our eventual winner, Cross The Stars, was third and had a better lane, riding the rail for Mo Mentum Farm. In between horses, Torque Convertor, the post time favorite from Nakamura Stables and Cherokee Twins, from TwinTowersRacing, were within half a length. Right behind this group was Bodemister (D J C Racing Stables), and it was another length to Added Value (Alabarda Stable).

(¾ Mile- 1:13.99)- There is still no one getting right up behind Talladega, as he continues to hold an uncontested lead of about two and a half lengths. Not much changes with the group of four wide horses for the second position, but Cross The Stars gets the benefit of the inside lane here, and is slightly ahead of Obeah Mon after six furlongs. Torque Converter and Cherokee Twins continue to hang with, as well. Just as the field this spot, Bodemister made an aggressive move to the outside, with sights likely set on a five wide move. Added Value simply held his ground on the rail and was not getting involved as of yet.

(Top Of Stretch, 2F To Go)- We don’t see much in the way of changes for the remainder of the backstretch, but early in the turn, Cross The Stars and Cherokee Twins start to gain ground on Talladega. Both seem poised to make that pass within the stretch. The others that had been running with them do not seem as strong as the wide trip of Obeah Mon starts to wear him down and Torque Converter’s supporters in the grandstands begin to groan. Bodemister did make a five wide move but had not yet made up a lot of ground. Added Value had still not shown much.

(Finish- 2:29.91)- In the stretch, Cross The Stars slides on by to the outside of Talladega as if he was the one with fresher tires after a pit stop. Bodemister took the high line as they approached the wire, and did well to move into the second position, but that was all that he would be able to do here. As once in front, Cross The Stars was not going to be stopped and takes the checkered flag of this race by half a length. A steady run for Cherokee Twins gets him third, with Talladega fourth. Added Value, Obeah Mon, and Torque Converter round it out and were all non factors.

About The Winner- Cross The Stars, trained by Mo Mentum Farm and ridden to victory by P Lopez, is a three year old gelding by Crossing The Rubicon and is out of Pink Stars. He was bred in Florida by Team 7 Illusions as a yearling, and was acquired by the trainer, via Bigking, for $14.000 in the December 2020 auction. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his third in ten starts, and his first stake win of any sort. His career earnings are now $285.070.

Track: Fast
Time: :49²  1:13⁴  2:03⁴  2:29⁴

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 2 – 6 Paid 75.10
$1 Trifecta: 2 – 6 – 4 Paid 479.80

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded