July 4, 2016

Without the best in the Sprint division at GP on Saturday, a solid field of nine came out for the Grade II Smile Sprint Handicap and with a spot in the BC on the line, Nefarious Leadership stepped up to the task and earned his spot with a two-length win for owner Mb Stables. From the first crop of Grade II winner The Dark Prince, he was only sixth at PIM on the PRK undercard but came back over a good track to blow away with the field and earn a sharp 100-speed rating, his best since 2014 when he won the BEL Sprint and the Grade I Forego back-to-back.

Speed was out in full force to start the Smile Sprint and everyone from the outside got a great start with No More Blues (26.40) rolling to the lead from Oh Awesome One (*2.55) and Cool Daddy (5.60) way out wide. Rocketing into the far turn through the first split in 22.37, those three leaders had moved forward from defending champion Five Star Five (5.20) and Reel Steal (2.90) and the only downside was that no one really got a chance to save any ground, setting things up perfectly for a closer. Around the far turn to the top of the lane, No More Blues was still a very tepid leader with the favourite right to his outside and after rolling through the half-mile in 45.35, Oh Awesome One took the lead before the field bunched up completely. A line of four crossed the racetrack at the head of the lane as Reel Steal took a clear lead from Cool Daddy outside but the rail opened up for longshot Nefarious Leadership (14.15) and he simply inhaled the field with the most powerful move of anyone. Domination Nation (5.50) came with his run to finish third behind a solid Reel Steal but the winner was going away at the wire and scored by nearly two-lengths in sub 1:10-time, excellent over a good track. Cool Daddy stuck around for fourth from an even Money For Charley (72.30) while Five Star Five and Oh Awesome One tired, Bonsai Gullis (14.55) never got involved and No More Blues weakened along the rail to wind up last.

Nefarious Leadership had never really stepped up in Graded Stakes company but handled the good going better than anyone and rocketed home to a clear win in the Grade II Smile Sprint, earning his place in the BC Sprint with his placing rating in almost two years. The Grade I Forego will be the stepping stone on the road to SA if he hopes to handle the same class of field once again and he will certainly be added by an off-track, which helped his closing ability in spades here.

Congratulations goes out to owner Mb Stables and their five-year-old horse Nefarious Leadership, a last-to-first winner of the Grade II Smile Sprint Handicap at GP!

Prediction                        Five Star Five / Domination Nation / Reel Steal

Winner                             Nefarious Leadership

                                            Five-year-old black horse

                                            The Dark Prince-Novembers Revenge (Seattle Host)

Owner                               Mb Stables

Time                                  22.37, 45.35, 57.62, 1:09.99

Overall

Nefarious Leadership   14.15 last early, found room, driving

Reel Steal                          2.90 stalked, clear into lane, outfinished

Domination Nation       5.50 far back, wide rally, up for third

Cool Daddy                       5.60 even effort throughout

Money For Charley         72.30 raced midpack

Five Star Five                    5.20 pressed, faded

Oh Awesome One           *2.55 brief late lead, weakened

Bonsai Gullis                    14.55 no factor

No More Blues                  26.40 set pace, faded badly

Triple T Racing 🙂

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES