The WV Cavada Breeders Classic

7 Furlongs Dirt Stake Purse $125.00 Filly & Mare 3 Year Olds And Up Foaled In WV.

1st        Extra Red          The Sidley Stud            Almodovar G                1:22.11

The Sidley Stud had a rough start to this massive day in WV statebred racing but finished strongly — not least with this filly. I’ll get to her excellent win in a moment, but first I want to highlight something else remarkable about this race: the ongoing ineptitude of the odds monkeys and the strange program used to calculate payouts.

To begin with, the first two home paid 9.25 and 147.85. Those are not bad returns in a five‑horse field, and the fact that both runners were offered at long odds and finished first and second is something we’ve come to expect from the odds monkeys. But it was the exotic payouts that really made me shake my head. The $1 exacta paid 1,896.30, while the trifecta managed only a measly 697.10 — a pretty astonishing result in such a small field.

This is where the question of pools and the handicapping competition really hits a roadblock. Where does the money come from to arrive at those payouts? How is it that in another race with a similar outcome, the payment can be much less — or sometimes more — considering there was almost certainly only a tiny fraction of that pool bet into the race by real players? It’s a question for another day, but one that has nagged at me for some time.

Anyway, onto the victory of Extra Red. She was never far off the speed, which is essential on this bull‑ring circuit, and when the leader gave way she was strongest to the line. This was her first stakes win after several solid efforts and, in true HRP style, it was bound to happen eventually.

Congratulations to the trainer, who supports this day with enthusiasm and enters enough runners to ensure many of these stakes races get to go ahead.

2nd       Hammelot Stella         Panionios Racing        Acosta J D                       1:22.25

Went to the front and looked in charge at half way before succumbing to the winners grit at the end. This was a super effort by a filly that has been shipped around a few stables recently and has certainly found a new lease of life since being fitted with the magic shadow roll.

3rd        Lily Bless Her The Sidley Stud            Bocachica Ar                1:22.38

Stalked the lead but just couldn’t quicken under her penalty and ended up a game third      

4th        Kill The Lycan D J C Racing Stables Montano J                       1:22.39             

The odds on favorite was close enough to go and win this race but could not once again find a turn of foot even after he was pulled out from behind the front runner. This was a typical HRP race, just over a length covering all the runners, speed running one two and some crazy odds monkey returns.

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded