I said this looked like an evenly matched field, that the finish of this race bears that out in dramatic fashion.

Bold Eagle and Tortured Valley went for the lead out of the shute. Pass The Pesos caught them and passed them into the clubhouse turn. Midway on the turn, Tortured Valley rallied and recaptured the lead. Bold Eagle sat behind them with Armed to his outside in forth.

Into the backstretch, Tortured Valley opened up by a length, with Pass The Pesos in second and Bold Eagle third. They stayed that way through the backstretch.

These three opened up on the rest of the field into the turn. At the head of the stretch, Bold Eagle and Pass The Pesos cut Tortured Valley’s lead to 1/2 length. On the outside, Skipping Stone started his run.

In the shadow of the wire, Bold Eagle slipped up the inside to challenge for the lead while Pass The Pesos and Skipping Stone pulled even on the outside. The four of them hit the wire together in a dramatic finish.

It was Bold Eagle by a nose over Tortured Valley by a neck over Pass The Pesos who just nosed out Skipping Stone.

This was the 5th win in 18 starts for this 4 year old gelding and brings his lifetime earnings to $333.830. Claimed for $40.000 in January, he is 5-1-1-1 for new owner Spankys Barn.

Order of Finish

Bold Eagle – stalked the pace saving ground on the rail

Tortured Valley – Led most of the way to be nosed out at the wire

Pass The Pesos – Pressed the lead throughout

Skipping Stone – Made a big run in the stretch to come up short by less than a length

Oliverstravels – Never really a factor although he made up a lot of ground in the stretch

Lettucerocku and Armed – Never a factor

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded