DMR Mile (Grade 2)- $300.000 Purse
DMR- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile on the Turf
September 3, 2022

In his last start, Tiger Claw came from way, way back to get up for fifth, and he was a deep closer in the race that came before it as well. Trainer London Racing could have taken that approach with his gelding again, but instead opted to have him at least in the middle of the field early on this time. That decision would pay off, as earned his first graded stake win here in the DMR Mile. Tiger Claw hasn’t always been a closer, and there were more than enough examples on his resume to show that he could get it done by running the type of race he did today. At the end, his win is the first in the race for London Racing and they jockey, F Prat. Congratulations to them! The time of the win was 1:32.70, similar to other recent winning times. Let’s take a look at it!

(1/4 Mile- :23.00)- Hollywood Niner wastes no time as he pushes out to the early lead, quickly opening up an advantage of two and a half lengths on the rest of the field for Onlineracingclub.com. Running in the second position after a quarter mile is Blazin D’s Black Barron, but he didn’t break in that spot. Instead, he was towards the back but made a push in the frontstretch as if hitting the finish line at that point is what mattered. A length behind him, we have our eventual winner, London Racing’s Tiger Claw running side by side for third with Free Blast, from Fractious. Behind them, also side by side, are the trailers, Phar Lap (Threshold) and Hollywood Hero (Nakamura Stables).

(½ Mile- :45.93)- Around the opening turn and into the backstretch, Hollywood Niner continues to be the leader and has not had to deal with any challenges for that spot. It looked like Black Barron might have been about to do so, but he settled in to a comfortable spot two lengths behind. After that, we still have two pairs of horses running side by side, with Tiger Claw still on the rail to the inside of Free Blast while being ahead of Phar Lap and Hollywood Hero.

(Top of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- There are no changes with the running order for the rest of the backstretch trip, and into the turn it is still Hollywood Niner looking very good at the front. Within the turn, Tiger Claw needed to come off the rail to get around Black Barron as that one was not doing much of anything. Given Tiger Claw’s history of being a closer, Onlineracingclub.com has to be concerned to see this move. Tiger Claw handled the turn well, and at the top of the stretch, had moved into the second position, with about a length and a half to make up. Free Blast tried to move along with him, but did not have the same kind of late kick. Further back, Phar Lap came off the rail as well and would look to follow Tiger Claw, something which certainly would be a good idea. Hollywood Hero, however, was lacking response.

(Finish- 1:32.70)- While Hollywood Niner did not go down without a fight, Tiger Claw continued to reel him in during the stretch, and would be right alongside with half a furlong to go. From there, it seemed as though the race was his, but Phar Lap was lurking behind him and also running well, so it was not won, yet. Tiger Claw still had plenty for that challenge, and would go on to win by about a full length. Phar Lap grabs second in a photo over Hollywood Niner. Free Blast gets the fourth place check, beating Black Barron and Hollywood Hero.

About The Winner- Tiger Claw, trained by London Racing and ridden to victory by F Prat, is a four year old gelding by the late Tragic, and is out Cobra Kai. He was bred in New York by Aer Stables as a first quarter two year old and was acquired by London Racing, via Mo Mentum Farm in May 2021 for a $37.500 claim. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his fifth in 22 starts, his second stake win and first graded win. His career earnings are now $589.520.

Track: Firm
Time: :23   :45⁴  1:08⁴  1:32³

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 1 – 2 Paid 37.40
$1 Trifecta: 1 – 2 – 6 Paid 170.30

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES