San Felipe Stakes – Grade II (P9) [KYD]
1 1/16 Mile Dirt Stake Purse $400.000 Open 3 Year Olds.

1st      Grouse Mountain      John Henry       Bridgmohan S X

Well i am glad i got the races i got this week because i wouldn’t have known where to start in covering the SA Handicap. But lets not get into that lets talk about this brilliant win from a horse that so deserved it in a race that looked suspiciously like that infamous KYD. Avoiding the last group was the key for this deep closer and he managed that and quickly found a position on the rail. With the ridiculous early pace this race was always going to a closer and the race was won for this one as he switched to the rail when the leaders stopped and got first run on the wide closer’s. With one on a fast instruction and one on a slower instruction this race was set up by Our Athletes who in the end just set it up for this one who had already won a BC Juvenile from a similar position.
The form of this race will be all over the place because of the silly pace but it was great to see this one back to his best although John Henry may have to buy some rabbits if they want to win the KYD.

2nd       Uranus       Smokey Stover       Bahen S R

Normally a stalker or front runner this one could not go the early pace and dropped right back from the one gate. If he had stayed on the rail he may well have won but instead the good old AI pulled him way outside and he made his run late in the shadows of the grandstand. He actually did very well to be second and the winner who got a much better trip although holding him could not shake him off through the final furlong.

3rd      Backslider        Broken Spoke Stables       Espinoza V

Running from the car park this one ran the race of his life so far coming widest of all to take a close third. It is hard to talk about this race like a horse race as it looked more like a computer game with people banging away on buttons but when the dust settles the trainer will be thrilled with this effort by a horse who had to cover a lot of extra ground.

4th       No More Rattle       Bigchief Stables       Rosario J

Needless to say he had to close from the back and did really well to end up fourth. The value of the form for this race may be pretty pointless, similar to that KYD, but the fact remains this one ran a brave race and looks a decent prospect for the later qualifiers.

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES