The Pelican Stakes
6 Furlongs Dirt Stake Purse $100.000 Open 4 Year Olds And Up.

1st   Carnoustie      Smokey Stover     Centeno D E

After spending last year adding wins to his record in lesser races he has been given his head again this year and is proving a useful sprinter. Getting a great trip off a fast pace is key and it all worked out perfectly as he powered home through the middle to win by a neck. Five is a good age for a sprinter and this was a good little race so i suspect he will be seeing more black type this year.

2nd    Made To Perfection     La Rosa Stables       Gallardo A A

Maybe the race engine,. maybe instructions, but the slow start almost certainly cost this improving sprinter the win. He was flying at the end for second and really backed up his superb win at PRX last time and if he can sort out that start he is almost certainly going to win some good races this year.

3rd   Sunkist      LionKing Stables        Velazquez J R

Another that came from a long way back, he too was hampered by the slow start but as the race shape panned out the closers were favored and the race engine allowed him to run through them late. Only beaten a half length this was a decent run in a competitive field.

4th   First Down Dash    John Henry     Davis D

As the closers’ came the perfect position he seemed to be in resulted in what we so often see with those stalking a strong pace and that’s no answer to the closer’s. He whacked away at the one pace to be beaten a length into fourth which can happen with those wide draws who are used up a little to get a decent early position. At six though he still has good races in him.

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded