Tale of the Cat Stakes
1 1/16 Mile Turf Stake Purse $100.000 Open 3 Year Olds.

1st Dime Fall Asgar Bravo J

Eight races to win a maiden and then win a stakes race in your ninth, that is just how hard it is to win a race at HRP. He looked like he had turned a corner in that impressive maiden win and that progress shone through in this race as though he didn’t dominate from the front like he did last time, he went to war for the lead and was just too strong at the end. The draw certainly helped as he saved ground, but I like the direction this one is heading, and he could be one of those late developers that gets going in the second half of the year.

2nd Prestigious Freak Saratoga Stud Castillo I

Went to war for the lead but was hung out wide and one can’t help thinking the AI got it a bit wrong here. This was another decent effort, but he seems a bit all over the place with his running style and whilst he is clearly a good sort, he may just need more racing to learn his craft. The jury may still be out as to whether he prefers dirt or turf, or he may be like so many good horses here at HRP that don’t seem to care what is under hoof, either way and on any surface, there will be black type on his record sooner rather than later.

3rd Neagh D J C Racing Stables Lopez P

Well, I seem to say this in every write up, it is so much harder for horses to come from a long way back on this new engine. That can sometimes happen when a sprinter runs over a longer trip, so I do wonder whether his future may lay in sprints even though he is running like he needs further.

4th Kindred Bucks Nakamura Stables Jara F

Went from 50/1 with the odds monkeys to a 6/4 favorite so it was clear someone thought he would enjoy coming back to turf today. As it ended up, he settled back a little after a good start and when the pace quickened, he was caught flat footed, plugging away for fourth he may well find himself back on the dirt next time.

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded