The Matchmaker – Grade III

1 1/8 Mile Turf Stake Purse $300.00Filly & Mare 3 Year Olds And Up.

1st        Star Sequence              Team 7 Illusions           Corrales G                      1:49.39

The HRP weathermen frustrated the owners once again and turned up a first two that even the odds monkeys couldn’t predict. In a way it is a shame that this brilliant win in only the three-year-olds third race will be slightly overshadowed by the off track which tends to throw up once in a lifetime results. Making all she clearly loved the conditions and whilst the others were all flailing about, she stuck on really gamely to hold on by a neck. It is very easy to talk in superlatives about a three-year-old that can defeat stakes winners in only her third start, and they would certainly be deserved in this filly’s case.

Trained by Team 7 who has recently liquidated a large chunk of their stable they will be thrilled to have this filly who looks as if she is an emerging star.  They also retained both the sire and dam.

2nd       Neon Woof                     TwinTowersRacing      Franco M                         1:49.45               

This four-year-old has certainly turned a corner in her career as she followed up her Mint Julep win with a hard closing second here. I am not sure she was overly suited by the conditions as she found it hard to get her action working in the first half of the race but when she hit the stretch she ran on like a good one.

3rd        Right As Rain                 Alydar Stables              Rispoli U                          1:49.73

Kept on for a fair effort in third she has certainly proved in the past that she isn’t as good in the wet, so this run was probably better than it looked.            

4th        One Spirit         Nakamura Stables           Velazquez J R                         1:49.93

She was three for three in the wet coming into this, including at grade three level so the trainer must’ve been rubbing their hands together when the weathermen announced the yielding turf.  Traveling in a good spot I kept expecting her to make a move, but she just whacked away like she was hating the wet in the end.

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES