ELP Derby ($275.000 Purse)
ELP- For Three Year Olds
One Mile on the Dirt
August 11, 2024

Team 7 Illusions had his name all over the racing form for the ELP Derby, as the breeder of four out of the seven runners, but only one of them was running for him in the race. Crumbler was that horse, and he would get the job done in an emphatic manner, jumping out to the lead right at the start and going on to win by a comfortable two lengths. This is the first win in the ELP Derby for Team 7 Illusions and for jockey G Corrales. Congratulations to them! The time of the win was 1:34.36, and that is a new stake record. Let’s take a look at it:

(1/4 Mile- :23.33)- Our eventual winner from Team 7 Illusions, Crumbler, jumps out to the lead from the gate, and the only one anywhere near him is the Mb Stables- trained Party For You, who is a half-length back to his outside. Then, the rest of the field is at least three lengths further off the pace, with four horses running alongside one another. From inside to outside, they are, More Booster Please (John Henry), Yours Sincerely (Asgar), Red Bull (D J C Racing Stables), and Last Round (Fractious). It’s another length to Van Go Go (Fractious).

(½ Mile- :46.76)- The second quarter mile sees Crumbler and Party For You continue to run well in front of the rest of the field, but by the time they reach the end of the backstretch, Crumbler is also beginning to pull further in front of the one that had been running with him. Yours Sincerely is third, but five lengths from the lead as he runs with Red Bull. More Booster Please and Last Round are close by and Van Go Go is still at the back.

(Top of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- Crumbler has a commanding lead as they enter the top of the stretch, and it would take a complete crumble of form for him to blow this one. Party For You was the one crumbling, falling well behind the leader and the only reason he was still second was because of the gap that had previously been established. Looking behind Crumbler, the only question was who would complete the exacta.

(Finish- 1:34.36)- They won’t always be this easy, but there was no one that could touch Crumbler on this day, and in fact the horse may not have even realized he was in a race and not simply having a mile work around the track. It was that easy, as other than for Party For You in the first half of the race, no one was near him all day. Van Go Go is the best of the rest, claiming second over Red Bull, then Yours Sincerely. Last Round, More Booster Please and Party For You round it out.

About The Winner- Crumbler, trained by Team 7 Illusions and ridden to victory by G Corrales, is a three-year-old gelding by I Want More and is out of Ramble. He was bred in Kentucky by Team 7 Illusions as a second quarter two-year-old, and they have been together throughout. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his third in five starts and first stake win. His career earnings are now $274.800.

Track: Fast
Time: :23¹  :46³  1:10²  1:34¹

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 5 – 6 Paid 278.90
$1 Trifecta: 5 – 6 – 3 Paid 1,247.90

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded