CA Cup Sprint- $150.000 Purse
SA- For Four Year Olds and Upward Foaled in CA
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
January 18, 2020

Audioslave has accomplished a lot during his career, but a lot of that seemed to be in the past. Lately, the horse had not showed much, and bounced back and forth between different conditions as the trainer, Alydar Stables, tried to find the best fit for the now older horse. There was not much reason to be excited about him in this field, and that was certainly shown on the tote board. On this day, however, Audioslave dug back into his past and refound that old form, and ran like the horse he was when he was three. Alydar Stables will now hope this becomes a trend for his five year old gelding as he earns his second win in the stake. It’s also the first time M E Smith has rode the winner. Congratulations to them! The time of the victory was an impressive 1:08.77, and that is a new record for the stake (by .01 seconds). Let’s take a look!

(1/4 Mile- :22.68)- After a clean start by the field, both Chili King Stables’ Crimson Pirate and Night Rider Stables’ Geeky Pleasure would emerge as the quickest two horses. Ultimately, Crimson Pirate pulled ahead by about half a length before Geeky Pleasure pulled back up beside him as the field prepared to run around the turn. Audioslave, our eventual winner from Alydar Stables, broke well but did not join the top two horses at the front. He’d be content to sit a length and a half off of the lead, and by the time they reached the turn, he had a good position in the money lane to use if he desired. To his inside, both Made To Sin (John Henry) and Global Strike (Fractious) were keeping pace well, two and a half lengths from the front. A Star Is Born (Mb Stables) was about another two lengths back, and giving himself a lot of ground to make up late in the rear of the field was Chai Laffin (Gdp Inc), who was six lengths from the lead.

(Top Of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- Geeky Pleasure was at the front of the field after running a half mile in :45.38, and hoping to give another big win for Night Rider Stables, but not as big as the Lecomte. However, Audioslave had just been waiting for his time to strike, and on the exit of the turn, he looked like his old self and pulling alongside Geeky Pleasure. Crimson Pirate was not able to stay with him, but the other well known name, Made To Sin, was starting to also get interested much more, and was within a length and a half. Global Strike was three lengths back and needed to get moving. Pressure was also coming from behind as Chai Laffin got closer. A Star Is Born was not showing much and not justifying being the post time favorite.

(Finish- 1:08.77)- With an overpowering push in the stretch, Audioslave put everyone away in this field. It was really quite an impressive result for this horse that needed a result like this, because it had not been happening for him much lately. With this length and a half victory that was also a track record, you have to wonder what we are going to see from him now as it is not unprecedented here for horses to have a second wind like this. Chai Laffin’s close got him second by a neck over Made To Sin, but he never threatened Audioslave. Global Strike’s consistent though unspectacular run got him a fourth place check over the tiring Geeky Pleasure. Crimson Pirate and A Star Is Born round it out.

About The Winner- Audioslave, trained by Alydar Stables, and ridden by M E Smith, is a five year old gelding by Wonderfully Wicked, and is out of Twist Of Delight. He was bred in California by Alydar Stables as a second quarter two year old, the only trainer for which he has ever known. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his seventh in 26 starts, and his fourth stake win. His career earnings are now $868.680.

Track: Fast
Time: :22³  :45¹  :57   1:08³

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 3 – 7 Paid 306.00
$1 Trifecta: 3 – 7 – 1 Paid 1,317.60

Scratched: Sharp And Ready

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded