The DeFrancis Memorial Dash (Grade 3)- $200.000 Purse
LRL- For Three Year Olds and Upward
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
September 18, 2021
A month ago, Dont Worry Be Jolly ran for a $50.000 claiming tag, an apparent downgrade for a horse that had run in graded races at BEL in May and June. He won the race, and apparently won back the confidence of trainer Mb Stables. In the DeFrancis Memorial Dash, Dont Worry Be Jolly won again, this against much stronger company, showing that the five year old gelding still has plenty of great races ahead of him. It earns Mb Stables his second win in the race, and it is the first for rider H A Karamanos. Congratulations! The time of the win was 1:08.57. Let’s take a look!
(¼ Mile- :22.61)- Personal Beliefs jumps out to an uncontested lead for Maxmillion Farm by about a length and a half. Behind him, John Henry’s Settle The Score Vr holds the second spot, while having Kiss The Snake, from Nakamura Stables about a length back on his outside. That one is slightly ahead of our eventual race winner, Dont Worry Be Jolly, from Mb Stables, who holds the rail in the early going. He has Barbary Appeal (Axeman) nearby, and Seven Towers (Threshold) is part of this group as well, holding the outside line. It’s another length to In Waiting (Rampage Stable), and the trailers are Milford Sound (Mwn Racing), Pookie (Winning Link Stables), and Admire (Angelos Stable).
(½ Mile- :45.20, Top of Stretch, 1.7F To Go)- At the front, Personal Beliefs is looking very good, continuing to show the way and hoping to do what stablemate Last Way To The Beac did for the twice as long JC Derby. Settle The Score Vr has not made up any ground on him, and neither have Dont Worry Be Jolly or Barbary Appeal. Kiss The Snake loses ground and Seven Towers goes way outside in the turn, costing him a chance to threaten for the win. The other four had plenty of work to do and not a lot of time left to do it in.
(Finish- 1:08.57)- In the stretch, Personal Beliefs was looking vulnerable and the rest of the field closed in rather quickly. Settle The Score Vr and Dont Worry Be Jolly were in the best positions to take advantage of this as they would go by on each side of him rather easily and then get ready to settle the score between them. Barbary Appeal was still in the mix, too. Once they got around the pacesetter, Dont Worry Be Jolly was quick to put away Settle The Score Vr as well and goes on to the win by about half a length. Seven Towers came from centerfield to be third, edging Personal Beliefs then Barbary Appeal for that spot. Kiss The Snake, Milford Sound, Pookie, In Waiting, and Admire complete the running order.
About The Winner- Dont Worry Be Jolly, trained by Mb Stables and ridden to victory by H A Karamanos is a five year old gelding by the late Jolly Be Great and is out of the late For Effect. He was bred in Ontario by Patterson Stables as a second quarter two year old, and acquired by Mb Stables, via RNP Stables, in the March 2021 auction for $24.510. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his eighth in 27 starts, and his second stake win, each being graded. His career earnings are now $372.720.
Track: Fast
Time: :223 :451 :563 1:082
$2 Mutuel Prices:
$1 Exacta: 2 – 6 Paid 89.50
$1 Trifecta: 2 – 6 – 9 Paid 564.40
Scratched: Tempestuous
— NS
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
