Pocahontas – Grade II [BC]
1 1/16 Mile Dirt Stake Purse $200.000 Filly 2 Year Olds.

1st Toleration, trained by Mb Stables
Clearly a sprinting conformation is no barrier to this daughter of General Motors as she powered home for a half length win. A sub 1.37 work for a two year old in September is about the same as the KYD contenders were working in March this year, so the writing was on the wall, if you take work outs as your main form guide. I hate to think what these juveniles will be working come TC time, but thats the way HRP has been going in recent years with limited development and getting faster and faster year on year as the youngsters hit the track. Whatever your views on development this is a very nice filly which will be a tough contender come the BC and with obvious pace and stamina.

2nd First Time, trained by Smokey Stover
The closest in works to the winner, and she ended up a decent second, and her trainer should not be disappointed with this defeat. Getting back early she mounted a spirited finish, and she too will be a real contender when the BC rolls around.

3rd Viking Libra, trained by Delta Farms
The outside speed push catapulted this one onto the speed early on, and she actually did really well to keep on for third where other horses have faded from a  similar run. Given a lead and an inside draw, she could well have gotten closer to the win, even though she was only beaten a length, and I would be encouraged by this run.

4th Wine And Bubble, trained by Night Rider Stables
Ran well at long odds to be fourth, beaten just a length, definitely a filly with potential. I wonder whether she has as much depth as the first three, but this was a good performance at odds, and she should pick up a decent race before the end of the year.

SUMMARY
The fastest two workers over a mile finished first and second, so there wasn’t any big surprise here for me. Only a few lengths covered the field, so a block here or a different draw would change the result, but under today’s conditions the first two looked superior.

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES