South Ocean Stakes- $125.000 Purse
WO- For Two Year Old Fillies Foaled in ON
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
November 14, 2015

The field in the South Ocean Stakes was not the most impressive one you will see, even with a nice purse to be awarded.  Such is the trend within our game concerning these statebred stakes, and the South Ocean Stakes was hit pretty hard with it.   We had four go to the gate in what really seemed like nothing more then an N2L allowance.   One horse in this field, Broomstick Patty, seemed to be the best of the bunch and the most capable of having a great career.  Other then her, the question was whether or not another one in this field could rise up to her level.  We would get that today, thanks to Laff Night Out.  Even though the field may not have been the greatest, we had a classic two horse stretch fight to the wire.  In the end, Broomstick Patty emerged as the winner, but Laff Night Out proved her mettle here as well.  Hawaiian Shirt Guy is the winning trainer, taking the stake for the first time. Jockey G Olguin won the event for the second time.    The winning race time of 1:43.32 is pretty much middle of the road for this race.  With that, here’s a recap!

1st- 4- Broomstick Patty (3/5)- This was the horse that everyone expected to win, and in the end, she did exactly that.  But it was not at all easy for G Olguin and this Hawaiian Shirt Guy filly.  She got off to a good start, and assumed the lead not long into the race.    As they made their way around the track, she set the opening fractions in :23 4/5 and :47 2/5 while having Laff Night Out about half a length behind her.  Moving into the turn, that one looked to get by, but Broomstick Patty would have none of it, and handled the turn quite well.   She would only briefly put Laff Night Out away, because in the stretch that one pulled even with her again, and at that point, the race was on.  G Olguin doing everything he could with Broomstick Patty and D Moran battling hard with Laff Night Out.  There was no room for error with either of them, and both of them finished in an all out drive, and in a too close to call photo.   As those in the grandstands awaited, finally, they displayed that the 3/5 favorite had just barely defeated the second choice.  Congratulations to Hawaiian Shirt Guy who certainly must love the stretch desire he saw from her today. She is a two year old filly by Broomstick Kapa Din, and out of Patty Potato (who has unheralded bloodlines).  She was bred Ontario by Hawaiian Shirt Guy as a second quarter two year old.  Congrats again!

2nd- 3- Laff Night Out (9/5)- She showed no signs of having never raced at this distance before, putting forth a strong performance all the way down to the wire and just missed.  The Buddhabase filly was always on the lead in this one.   Stalking in the early portions, before pulling up beside Broomstick Patty.  In the turn, D Moran tried to complete a pass of the leader, and matched strides for her, before the leader got a half length advantage back in the turn.  Laff Night Out made another concerted push in the stretch and again was even.  In the stretch, it was a fascinating battle between the two of them but in the end this filly would just miss in the photo.

3rd- 2- Jazzy Spirit (5/1)- For a little while, she looked like she could be a contender in this race for trainer, Axeman.   She sat just off the lead in the early stages, and would about three lengths from the leader as they made the way down the backstretch.  However, when the top two picked up their game, Jazzy Spirit could not go with them.

4th- 1- El Ghost (16/1)- There’s no way to sugar coat her effort.  She went promptly to the back and finished off the viewer.  Tough day for the Wolf Dens entry.

Track: Fast
Time: :23⁴  :47²  1:11¹  1:43¹

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 4 – 3 Paid 8.30

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded