September 16, 2015
The Grade I Northern Dancer BC Turf was truly a battle between defending champion Turon Warrior and a pair of Grade I winning three-year-olds in Bombastic Kathology and Desolation Island and at the end of 1 ½ miles on the towering WO turf, it was the latter of the two who proved the best, by a stubborn neck over his older rival. A gelded son of average sire Roaring Fifties, he has proven to be a very astute claim for owner Mb Stables and now ranks as one of the highest rated on the turf, with five wins from eight starts on the surface and earnings of more than $1,000.000, which could have been more had he won the BEL Derby clear and free.
Dance Charm (39.55) knew that the only way to get anywhere as the longest shot on the board was to go to the front for as long as he could and that is what he did, taking the early lead from Stormy Kg (3.85) with Desolation Island (*1.25) a wide third early. As the leader pressed forward to secure a one-length advantage, the back four runners each took turns moving inside and outside and as Sweet Son (8.40) moved up outside, Turon Warrior (3.80) moved inside to secure room into the long backstretch. Dance Charm led the field through a wicked first split of 47.38 and everyone knew that those fractions could not be sustained but there he was, winging it on the engine, with the weird fact being the line-up of three near the back, as no one wanted to drop down to save any ground. Six-furlongs in a rapid 1:11.15 still left a long way to go for the pacesetter but he was well clear and looking good as Stormy Kg started to get reeled in by the closers. Everyone angled outside of the stalker including the favourite and that pushed Sweet Son over the edge, and to the back of the field, and around the far turn, it was clear that Desolation Island was the main threat to the leader with a wide run. Three-furlongs out, Dance Charm was still holding onto the lead as the top two choices muscled their way into contention and at the head of the lane, it was a three-pronged battle with everyone well out into the middle of the track. As soon as Desolation Island wrested the lead, Turon Warrior swung into another gear and that spelled the end for Dance Charm, who held well in the end, and as the top two dueled to the wire, the three-year-old used all of his might to hold sway from his older rival with only a head separating them at the wire. It was 2.5-lengths back to a tired Dance Charm in third, and another 2.5-lengths back to Stormy Kg in fourth, as he held the final cheque over a lackluster Bombastic Kathology (4.20) with Sweet Son a discouraged last after pressing early but failing to handle the much tougher competition.
Desolation Island became a duel Grade I winner this year by adding the Northern Dancer BC Turf to his win in the BEL Derby and while this might have signaled a turn-around for him after his off-the-board effort at AP, one has to wonder how he will handle things when the final pace is much quicker. The real question to answer is whether Turon Warrior, favourite in the BC Turf last year, will even make the field, as he sits outside of the Top 14 with two guaranteed starters below him, and that means that both the Hirsch Turf Classic and the Pattison Canadian International will prove incredibly important if he hopes to make it to KEE.
Congratulations goes out to owner Mb Stables and their three-year-old gelding Desolation Island, a rousing winner of the Grade I Northern Dancer BC Turf at WO!
Prediction Turon Warrior / Sweet Son / Bombastic Kathology
Winner Desolation Island
Three-year-old chestnut gelding
Roaring Fifties-Bushie Rye Bred (Northern Ruler)
Owner Mb Stables
Time 47.38, 1:11.15, 1:59.84, 2:24.71
Overall
Desolation Island *1.25 jockeyed early, wide run, up in time
Turon Warrior 3.80 inside trip, muscled into contention, missed
Dance Charm 39.55 set pace, tired in final furlong
Stormy Kg 3.85 stalked, no late momentum
Bombastic Kathology 4.20 never involved
Sweet Son 8.40 midpack early, weakened
Triple T Racing 🙂
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES
