The Prk – Grade I
1 3/16 Mile Dirt Stake Purse $1,500.000 Open 3 Year Olds.
1st All Take Alydar Stables Moran D
When this one won the TAM Derby in the mud i was convinced he was a big TC chance, i even mentioned it at the time when chatting with friends that i felt his was one of the best wins in the qualifiers. When he was drawn wide in the Wood Memorial and was put up close to the speed by the wide gate or some different instructions the writing was on the wall as he weakened tamely out of the race into a ten length ninth. That run did worry me because good horses are rarely beaten so far but with an off track and a possible pace instruction i was ready to forgive the effort as one of those HRP one offs.
Then however a one off became a two off when he went to the KYD with a perfect draw and ran 17th of 20 beaten eight lengths. The confusing thing with that race was that it was run in a similar pace to this one and whilst he fell back from the gate he actually ran in a similar position for the first six furlongs as he did in this race. At the mile point in the KYD with the times of this race and that race almost identical he was making no ground from the back and just ran to the line very well beaten 17th.
Fast forward to today. Drawn wider he fell back but the slightly stronger early pace seemed to make the front runners stop all the quicker and rather than finding traffic at every turn he found a miracle run to win by a nose. As they hit the stretch the race looked like a two furlong race with the horses spread across the track and about ten winning chances but this one was finding the gaps and despite carrying zero Disney Dollars in the handicapping comp managed to get his nose in front when it counted.
Bought by Fractious from his breeder Team 7 Illusions he ran twice for that stable but was then sold for a loss of $50 to his current owner. His only win for the new stable came in the mud of the TAM Derby and whilst many may have given up after his two poor efforts at AQU and CD full marks go to Alydar for sticking with this one and believing he could win.
His sire, the great Niagra, had been producing winners but as the years have gone by his winners have got less and less and many had given up on him ever having a true champion foal and this one has come out of the blue a little as he reaches an age when many are thinking about a few mares a quarter and a peaceful life in the paddock. His mother has produced nine foals of which only this and one other has won a cent so it is clear most of his ability comes through his Fathers blood.
All Take looks like an out and out stayer and will be well suited by the BEL’s stamina sapping 12 furlongs but as this result has shown form can be turned around very easily at HRP and who knows who will emerge next month.
Once again congratulations to Alydar Stable and to the breeder Team 7 Illusions.
2nd Ey Mon Arindel Saez L
As they hit the stretch today it really was a matter of not knowing where to look. This home bred gelding who had missed the KYD was finding the gap as the first 8 fanned across the track and looked like he may win for a stride before the winner just nosed him on the line. The key to this great run and turn around in form with Individuation was the fact that today he was ridden with a bit more restraint and that allowed him to save himself for the end of this thrilling race. Whether that was down to a great decision by the owner or the race engine simply choosing for him we probably wont know but it certainly made the difference between him weakening off the front and running through and very nearly winning.
Bred by his owner and out of their own Cherokee Sunset stallion Crossing The Rubicon he has been on the quick improve since being win less as a juvenile and only picking up his maiden win in February this year.
3rd Gigabyte Smokey Stover Jaramillo E
Well as he traveled in the perfect position early and then switched to find a perfect run on the rail i really felt that he was going to set up yet another TC challenge and win this race but sadly it just wasn’t meant to be. The reason this horse has been so consistent over his career so far is that he has the pace and the heart to get himself into good positions at the right time but the down side of that is that sometimes he can be just a shade susceptible to a late finish. Today that was certainly the case as he was caught and passed with just yards to run. He never gave up though and as usual ran his heart out for third but just couldn’t find that extra energy in the dying strides.
Bred by Smokey Stover out of their own stallion Con Artist they recently sold that bloodline for a 1K profit and a huge 2.5K. Most of us only dream of those sorts of numbers but Big Guns Stables will be busy trying to find another Gigabyte although we all know how rare that feat can be. Big Guns has recently leased the mare, a maiden by Cherokee Sunset, so that will clearly be the aim and i am sure we all wish them the best of luck in that endeavor.
So where next for this one? I feel the BEL may be a step too far for him but he is such an honest horse he will probably be there fighting at the end but i would rather see him take a breather and coming back in a few months. That decision falls on Smokey Stovers shoulders though and i am sure the trainer knows what will work best for the horse.
4th The Martian Mo Mentum Farm Van Dyke D
Another that didn’t make the KYD he ran a cracker to be just a half length off the winner in fourth. When he faded out of the Lexington he looked like this trip may be an issue but HRP can be a fickle mistress at times and he ran the opposite today looking stronger at the end than he did in that race. Bred by South Beach Racing and bought for $400 the stable will be thrilled with this better effort especially as this is the only entire in the whole field and will be worth as much at the end of his career as he is now.
The Rest
Distorted Reasoning has now run two solid TC races, sixth just two lengths back in the KYD and now less than a length behind in fifth in the Preakness. He ran another honest effort today and is unlucky to have no dollars to show for two great races.
Sunshine Scooter only ran because of a defector he certainly out ran his efforts in the FL Derby and the KYD beaten just one length today and a combined 29 lengths in his last two races. His three incomparable races just do not make any sense but nevertheless he ran from the car park into sixth here beaten a length which was a huge effort.
Individuation, like Gigabyte looked to be getting the perfect trip and when he span wide and started a run it looked like the son of Jung would get some compensation for his narrow KYD defeat. As the first two from the KYD knuckled down to fight it out again so the field fanned out across the track and it was this one who held out the white flag first. it seems once again that his stamina gave out when faced with an on pace trip but having seen some of the crazy turnarounds in form displayed here i wouldn’t be surprised to see him back to winning big prizes before long.
Come To Poppa, led at the mile mark but ended up eighth beaten just a few lengths, a better effort after his KYD failure but like Individuation was too close to the early pace and weakened as this race engine seems to make happen.
Hilarity, led early and was still there at the mile mark but to be fair pretty much everything was there at the mile mark. He inevitably weakened but wasn’t beaten far and i do feel he has a good race in his future.
Of the rest we had a mixture of those who were selected for the slow start and so made up ground but were never dangerous and those that tried to stay on the pace and weakened.
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES
