The Nerud (Grade 2)- $200.000 Purse
AQU- For Four Year Olds and Upward
Seven Furlongs on the Dirt
July 6, 2024

It may have been over a year ago when they won their big race, but the running of the Nerud featured two TC winners from 2023. Quiet Return, the KYD winner, would take on Gorogue Laga, the PRK winner here at AQU. It’s not particularly unusual to see that type of thing, but when you consider that this is a seven-furlong race, it makes that fact a little more interesting. These two would not disappoint and wound up as the top two finishers! Quiet Return would prevail by a length over the only one that beat him in the PRK, getting the first win in the race for his trainer, Allinthegate. Aboard the winner was no stranger to the winner’s circle, as J R Velazquez has now been the winning Nerud jockey four times in the last seven years. Congratulations to them! The time of the victory was 1:21.09, which can’t fairly be compared to the prior editions due to them being at BEL. Let’s take a look at it now:

(1/4 Mile- :22.31)- On Schedule is ready to run straight from the gate and will open up a lead of close to two lengths for trainer, Mb Stables. Running second is his stablemate, More Twist, who leads the rest of the field down the backstretch. He has horses running close to him, with John Henry’s Indiscretion to his inside and Asgar’s Categorical Maybe on the outside. Surprise Authority is within a length as well, while running on the rail for Riggins Racing. Next up is our eventual winner from Allinthegate, Quiet Return. He is positioned right behind More Twist at this point. His familiar foe, Gorogue Laga is next on the outside while sporting the silks of Fractious for the first time. Next, it’s Fionas Miracle (La Canada Racehorses) and Retaliate (Fractious), and further back to Queens Commander (Angelos Stable) and Fox Final Time (Spankys Barn).

(½ Mile- :45.34, Top of Stretch, 1.8F To Go)- On Schedule looks very comfortable out front and is able to maintain his approximate two length cushion down the backstretch and while rounding the turn. Indiscretion would take over the second spot at the top of the turn from More Twist, and when this move was made, we saw Quiet Return move down a lane to now follow that one instead of More Twist, so certainly J R Velazquez liked the way his horse was running at this point. Surprise Authority handled the turn well, and for now, ran in the third spot. Categorical Maybe was running evenly, at best, but now had Gorogue Laga looking to make a wide move in the turn. This was his only option here but once in the stretch, he would have a clear lane. Fionas Miracle and Retaliate were not dead yet but needed to get moving soon and Queens Commander and Fox Final Time seemed way too far out of it now.

(Finish- 1:21.09)- The seemed to be all chasing On Schedule, who with a furlong to go, looked like he was going to get the win. However, Quiet Return was coming on strong, making considerable progress that only became greater when On Schedule looked to be tiring in the final moments. Gorogue Laga was running well, but his outside trip was getting the better of him. Surprise Authority was hanging in there, and while he didn’t look like a winner, he seemed poised to get a cut of the purse. From centerfield, Retaliate was making a run but running out of time. Approaching the wire, there was nothing that anyone could do about Quiet Return, who was in great stride to take home a win by a length over his rival, Gorogue Laga. That one nipped On Schedule in a photo for place, and its Surprise Authority hanging on for fourth over Retaliate, Indiscretion, and Fionas Miracle, who were all in the vicinity. The rest of the order will read Categorical Maybe, Fox Final Time, Queens Commander, and More Twist.

About The Winner- Quiet Return, trained by Allinthegate and ridden to victory by J R Velazquez, is a four-year-old gelding by Graveyard and is out of Return Of Mai Mia. He was bred by his trainer as a first quarter two-year-old in California, and they have been together throughout. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his sixth in 21 starts and his fourth stake win, all of which are graded. His career earnings are now $5,688.600.

Track: Fast
Time: :22¹  :45¹  1:09¹  1:21

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 8 – 11 Paid 27.00
$1 Trifecta: 8 – 11 – 10 Paid 339.40

Scratched: Natural Instinct(L)

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES