The Louisville – Grade III

1 1/2 Miles Turf Graded Stake Purse $250.00 Four-Year-Olds And Upward. At CD

1st      Gold Vault                         The Sidley Stud              9-2 (HRP) 5-1 (SRF)

Any concerns generated by his last two runs were erased when Gold Vault fired the afterburners on the far turn beginning an impressive run home that had him a length in front a length at the wire. Jockey G Corrales said he knew he had plenty of horse when he showed him the whip turning into the stretch and the big chestnut just took off. This was the seventh win in 30 starts for the millionaire five-year-old Cal-Bred.

2nd      Stylish Dime                 Maxmillion Farm                10-1 (HRP) 15-1 (SRF)

See? I told you Max was a clever player. Already he has doubled his purchase price for this horse with this one race. Stylish Dime was claimed last out by Maxmillion Farm for $25.00 from First Flight Stable. Only once in his nine-race career was he  tried in a stakes race, and that was a disappointing ninth in the Grade II Smith a few races back, but today Max chose to move him up to this Grade III race, and he responded with a classy stalking run that saw him take the lead with yards to go as the longest price on the board only to be caught by Gold Vault in the final strides.

3rd      Giacomo                    First Flight Stable                  6-1 (HRP) 20-1 (SRF)

I had Giacomo last on my handicap. I was wrong. I like the way Coz has stood by this horse and stuck with him even through the difficult period when he took a while to break his maiden. Now he is Graded placed, and who knows how high he can go? I had one like that once that another player singled out to call a “sucker horse” because it did almost well enough to believe in. Well, I stayed with him, and in his fortieth race he won his first Grade I. Giacomo set or forced the pace here from the start into the stretch where he weakened slightly in the final strides. I say stick with him, Coz, it’s fun owning a “sucker graded horse”.

4th      Whipped                      The Sidley Stud              *7-2 (HRP) 7-2 (SRF)

Race favourite, Whipped came out of the gate last and worked his way up to striking distance at the top of the stretch and passed a couple of horses from there but really didn’t make much headway to the finish.

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES