LA Derby – Grade II [KYD]

1 3/16 Mile Dirt Stake Purse $1,000.000 Open 3 Year Olds.

Well, what an interesting race this turned out to be although there was plenty of familiar race engine traits. We of course had the wide draws at the front and the back, that always seems to happen on just about every race engine we have ever had. Apache Rise Again had to do all sorts of work to get to the front and near the rail into the first turn in an effort that would’ve seen him weaken from halfway and finish last on some of the old race engines but on this shiny new one he had done the one thing that would give him a chance. Winter Book on the other hand along with Shoo Fly were stuck five wide and there is no coming back from there whereas Magical Sunset had dropped to last. So that was the wide draws what about the inner draws? Well Adjudication held a good spot round the first turn whilst Lunar Eclipse dropped back and got buried, Ben Nevis held a spot whilst the favorite Gorogue Laga found the stalk a couple off the rail. Where was the eventual winner well he too was a long way back but had found a spot near the rail. As usual nothing much happened after this until the next stage as they came into the final bend with 3.5 furlongs to run. Apache Rise Again still held the rail and the advantage setting a strong pace but Gorogue Laga started to eye him and was moving ominously to the front. Winter Book was still working wide but would have to be a wonder horse to win after the wide trip and Ben Nevis was beginning to struggle a little to hold his place. The rest as usual were all jostling for position and waiting for the leaders to weaken but the one that was making ground quicker than most was the eventual winner Terran Destiny although he still had plenty of traffic to negotiate. With a furlong and a half to run it looked like Gorogue Laga was home and hosed. The front runner was using the race engine perfectly and holding second whilst everything else got in each other’s way in behind. The one horse however that found he could move effortlessly used a cut a sideways move to get to the outside and now had a clear run at the leaders, that was of course the eventual winner but with one and a half furlongs to run a win still seemed unlikely. As they hit the line however Gorogue Laga paid the price for stalking a fast pace and just couldn’t hold off the clear run that Terran Destiny had. Apache Rise Again managed third thanks to his front running effort and no traffic whilst Cross Examination ran into fourth and looked a little unlucky. The rest as usual were in a heap in behind.

1st Terran Destiny Barcelona Farms Van Dyke D

I rather thought Barcelona Farms had set this one up for this race giving him a couple of races to learn his craft at lower level. The one problem was always going to be his closing style but today the AI found him the run and he flew home for a narrow win. This running style will always be reliant on luck here at HRP but this one certainly knows how to win and will be a strong chance in the KYD.

2nd Gorogue Laga Arindel Saez L

As they hit the straight it looked like he was going to wrap up another KYD qualifier but stalking a solid pace can be problematic on the new race engine and it always leaves a horse vulnerable to a late finisher. That was the case here, but he won this race everywhere but a stride from the line, so I don’t think his Derby favoritism will be affected.

3rd Apache Rise Again Apache Warrior Eikleberry R

The performance of this horse pretty much summed up the changes we have seen in the past few years. Ridden by a jockey that under the old system would’ve been making terrible AI decisions he found the front and that can be a key element with the new race engine. We still don’t seem to have a ‘running style’ at HRP as this horse proves when you look at his form, but he has now done it from behind and from the front in two competitive KYD qualifiers and that is a testament to just how under rated he has been.


4th Cross Examination Mo Mentum Farm Geroux F

Beat Apache Rise Again when that horse was a closer last time in the Risen Star but couldn’t pick him up when he was turned into a front runner today. I did like the way he broke out the pack when free and closed as well as the winner and i feel he may, if he makes the KYD, be worth keeping an eye on.

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES