The Palm Beach Stakes (Grade 3)- $150.000 Purse
GP- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Turf
February 27, 2016

There were a lot of big names in this year’s running of the Palm Beach Stakes.    Four of them had run in the BC Juvenile Turf, and others had scored some big graded wins in their young careers.   A few of them were coming off of long layoffs (and let’s face it, a few them showed the effects of a layoff today), and while they had been resting in their stalls, a gelding by the name of Drunken Skunk was developing nicely.  On the last day of January, trainer Boomtown applied a shadow roll for the first time in a race, and Drunken Skunk won an allowance in impressive fashion, just missing a track record going a mile and sixteenth. That race brought him here, and Drunken Skunk made his stake debut against accomplished more accomplished company.   He was made a 9/5 favorite in the morning line, so there were people with more confidence out there then I had that he could score a win against BC caliber horses.  Today, Drunken Skunk proved to everyone that his win was not just a fluke, and earned a win in his stake debut.  Congratulations to the trainer, Boomtown, and to jockey P Lopez, each of whom win the Palm Beach Stakes for the first time in their careers!  The time of the win 1:39.85.  This was just the second time the race had been run at this distance, so we can only compare it to last year’s race, which was a couple tenths faster.  Here’s how it unfolded:

1st- 2 Drunken Skunk (5/1)- Our eventual race winner from Boomtown did not care about the quick pace being set in this race.  Instead, P Lopez was more then happy to have his mount assume a position near the back of the field.  Around the opening turn, he was 10th of 11, and about five lengths from the lead.  A lane between horses opened up on the backstretch, and Lopez did well to take advantage of it in order to get by a couple, and this allowed him to be in the perfect position when Grande Sournoise decided to become the most polite horse on the racetrack and move down a lane or two for him.  Drunken Skunk took advantage of this opening as well and by the time they were near the exit of the turn, he had emerged with the second position with only Arrowhead to catch.  Grande Sournoise seemed as though he was going to run with him for a little while, but he could not keep up.  With a furlong to go, he completed the winning pass, and there was no one else who was going to be able to get him.  Drunken Skunk did have a good trip today, and jockey P Lopez deserves a lot of credit for maneuvering around the traffic to get the win!  Drunken Skunk is a three year old gelding by Take A Million, and out of Ra Ra Rasputin.  He was bred in Louisiana by Boomtown as a first quarter two year old, and they have been together throughout.  Congrats again!

2nd- 11- Arrowhead (17/1)- The outside post was never really a problem for the entry from Spongebob.   He was quick out of the gate, initially running with Underpaid Jockeys before backing off a bit.  By the time the run around the turn began, he was able to move into the third lane, sitting just a couple lengths off the lead.  By the time they reached the end of the backstretch, he had pulled even with the top two and was easily able to leave them in his dust.  He would emerge with a length lead at the top of the stretch, and seemed to be in great stride.  However, so to was Drunken Skunk, who at this point had cleared the traffic that had been in front of him.  In the stretch, he put forth a solid effort to hold off the winner, but would not be able to do it.  However, this did allow him to never really fall in jeopardy of falling out of the exacta, and it is a good second place finish for him.

3rd- 6- King Chuck (11/1)- Started poorly out of the gate for Gdp Inc.  He would go right to the back, and as they moved around the opening turn, he could see them all in front of him.  This is where he would stay over the course of the backstretch run, and even as they were about midway into the turn, he was still dead last.  Rounding the turn and into the stretch, King Chuck would look to ride the rail, and began to pass those who had begun to tire.  Still, with a furlong to go, he was still 8th, and still three lengths off the lead.  It was in that final furlong where King Chuck was impressive, never letting up as others began to tire it out.  The top two were not going to give in, but for a horse also making his stake debut, the trainer should be very happy.

4th- 4- Know How Skeleton (28/1)- Out of the gate, the Chili King Stables entry seemed pretty good, and was able to move along to the rail quickly.  E Prado did not want him to close to the fast pace being set, and opted to drop him about three to four lengths from the leader.  He would begin to move up a little into the final turn, but had to drop off the rail a lane to get by the tiring Fear The Feathers.  It took him a little longer then the trainer would have liked to complete the pass, and he would not have a large push for the win.  It would be just enough to prevail in a three-horse photo to get a 4th place check.

5th -3- Pump Action Shotgun (7/2)- Our pre-race favorite was well off the pace in the early going for trainer D J C Racing Stables, running just to the outside of today’s eventual winner Drunken Skunk throughout the opening turn and into the backstretch.   He would begin to make his move at about the same time as our winner, but this required him having to about six wide and sweep around the turn the long way.  While in this lane, he made steady headway.  It was not enough to challenge the race leaders, but it likely would be enough for the trainer to chalk the finish up to tough trip in the end.

6th- 8- Grand Sournoise (10/1)- Drabfantasy was hoping that his Sneaky Little Pirate colt could make a big step up today, and Grand Sournoise was in a decent midpack position early.  He would maintain his position down the backstretch, and began to hit a good stride as they entered the turn.  Grand Sournoise was very courteous to move down a lane to allow the eventual winner, Drunken Skunk, to have his preferred line without breaking his stride.  It looked like he was going to make a run for the win, but with a furlong to go his charge seemed to abruptly halt.

7th- 5- Malibu Run (8/1)- The Barcelona Farms trained gelding returned from a long layoff and seemed to be a good position early on, being near the front, but also wisely a bit off the fast pace being set.  Stayed in this position for a while, possibly being bottled up in the turn slightly, causing him to lose a couple lengths.  On exit of the turn, Malibu Run looked like he might have a run coming, but he could not make it stick.

8th- 1- Snowy Summit (18/1)- The TwinTowersRacing entry was not interested in starting well along the rail and instead would be near the back, about five lengths off the lead as they rounded the opening turn.  He was content to stay in this position for the run down the backstretch, and while Drunken Skunk, who had been running with him for the first half of the race, would move up, Snowy Summit did not move along with him. In the stretch, he had no response.  He didn’t tire, but he was never able to go forward in what became a very wide stretch run.

9th- 9- Fear The Feathers (10/1)- Got off to a good start for his trainer, Our Athletes.  He would run alongside pacesetter Underpaid Jockeys in the early going as a fast pace took place.  Fear The Feathers seemed to run well during the backstretch and seemed poised to pass Underpaid Jockeys as they moved into the turn.  Unfortunately for the trainer, his colt was also ready to call it a day at this point.  He hung around for a little while longer, but he would not be a factor here.

10th- 7- Vim (3/1)- It appeared as though the Blushing Meadows entry may have stumbled out of the gate, going right to the back at the start, but then looked to move up a little bit in the opening turn.  But just when it looked like he might move forward on the backstretch, he seemed content to stay about four lengths off the lead.  The post time favorite did have a wide trip along the final turn, but he was never able to make his presence.  He did come into this race on an approximate four month layoff.

11th- 10- Underpaid Jockeys (29/1)- Shot quickly out of the gate for trainer Night Rider Stables, setting the opening quarter in :23.11, and he would keep this quick pace going into the backstretch, with the half set at :46.44.  He would be caught in the backstretch, however, and as they moved into the turn, Underpaid Jockeys was beginning to pack it in.  The stretch was quite a struggle for him.

Track: Firm
Time: :23   :46²  1:09⁴  1:39⁴

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 2 – 11 Paid 19.90
$1 Trifecta: 2 – 11 – 6 Paid 186.20

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES