The Fourstardave Handicap (BC) (Grade 1)- $500.000 Purse
SAR- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile on the Inner Turf
August 10, 2024

Hawaiian Lord has had a thing for finished second throughout his career, and while he looked very appealing in this race, it was hard to pick him to win, so I went for his seventeenth runner up finish. He would be involved in a photo finish at the wire here, because for a moment, he had to tease his trainer that he may have been second again. But, at last, Hawaiian Lord earned his fourth win, and first victory since March 2023. Congratulations go out to trainer Our Athletes on wining the Fourstardave and clinching his spot in the BC Mile. It’s his first win in the race, and the second for jockey F Prat. The winning time was 1:32.40, the third quickest in the race’s history. Let’s take a look at it now:

(1/4 Mile- :22.93)- Out of the gate, there were several that looked like they may be the early leader, but an additional push from the outside by Spanky Barn’s Sixkiller, and the one wearing the six, Mb Stables- trained Prevent would be the top two, and after a quarter mile, it’s Prevent by a nose. This leaves a group of three stalkers right behind them, with Mr Toxic taking third for Spankys Barn, narrowly over TwinTowersRacing’s Bigmikesbluedress, who was looking to follow up her last race with a big one here. Maxmillion Farm’s Toc Black Magic runs fifth right between them. Within a length on the inside, we have our eventual winner from Our Athletes, Hawaiian Lord, running evenly with the Night Rider Stables- trained King Luka. After a gap of a length and a half, we have our final four runners who all run alongside one another. From inside to outside, they consist of Cage Rage (Maxmillion Farm), Albaquirky (Santan Stables), Rogerius Catalinus (Rock Creek), and Fear Me Not (Mb Stables).

(½ Mile- :45.86)- Around the clubhouse turn, Prevent pulls further away from Sixkiller as that one drops back and tells his stablemate to cover for him. That would be Mr Toxic, who had been running third, but makes a big push in the backstretch and will now hold a very narrow lead after a half mile. Sixkiller is a length and a half behind in third, running by himself, and a length in front of Toc Black Magic and Bigmikesbluedress. King Luka is next while running in the fourth lane, and then we have Hawaiian Lord, continuing to run near the rail in the middle of the pack. Fear Me Not pushes ahead of the others that he had been running with, half a length ahead of Cage Rage. Rogerius Catalinus is next with the massive high weight, Albaquirky, running at the back.

(Top of Stretch, 1.7F To Go)- The field makes their way around the final turn with Prevent now in front again, pulling away from Mr Toxic by nearly a length. Sixkiller continued to stalk the leader while on the rail as things got more interesting behind them. Hawaiian Lord comes off the rail and moves into the second lane to make his run, and he had made good progress in doing so. He’s a half-length to the inside of Bigmikesbluedress, who was also looking to make a move, and Toc Black Magic ran evenly with Hawaiian Lord while on the outside of Bigmikesbluedress. King Luka was trying to hang tough with the group while the next group of four closed in on them. Cage Rage and Rogerius Catalinus seemed to have the best potential for a run, but it would be all about who would have the most room to run in a tight pack.

(Finish- 1:32.40)- Early in the stretch, Prevent seemed to be looking good, but it was getting very tight right behind him with several horses looking capable to make a run for the win. Prevent would have his work cut out for him, and on this day, he’d not be able to hold on. Hawaiian Lord had just enough room to come between Sixkiller and Mr Toxic while Bigmikesbluedress had to move over to the outside of Mr Toxic. In that moment, maybe the luck of Hawaiian Lord had changed. At least, on this day, because it would be he and Bigmikesbluedress in a very tight photo at the wire. In the end, it in an overall very close finish between five or even six finishers, Hawaiian Lord had prevailed in the photo, prevailed by just .02. Not a bridesmaid on this day, and with the win, Hawaiian Lord will be heading to the BC Mile. This time, Bigmikesbluedress is the one with the hard luck second but definitely a needed strong run for that one. Sixkiller was within a half-length in third, as was the charging Rogerius Catalinus, narrowly over pacesetter Prevent with Toc Black Magic close to them as well. Rounding it out we have a dead between Cage Rage and Albaquirky, then Mr Toxic, King Luka, and Fear Me Not.

About The Winner- Hawaiian Lord, trained by Our Athletes and ridden to victory by F Prat, is a six-year horse by Lord High Admiral and is out of the late Tanganyika. Good to see another older horse making Fourstardave proud in his race! Hawaiian Lord was bred Florida as a first quarter two-year-old and been with Our Athletes for his entire career. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his fourth in 40 starts, and his first stake win! His career earnings are now $1,492.850.

Track: Firm
Time: :22⁴  :45⁴  1:09  1:32²

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 2 – 3 Paid 598.90
$1 Trifecta: 2 – 3 – 11 Paid 1,652.50

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES