July 25, 2015

The Grade II Play The King Stakes was clearly a battle between the three-year-old class and their older counterparts and the former made the most of their weight break to take the top three placings, led to the line by multiple stakes winner Dogs Dragon. A half-brother to Grade I winner Remember The Dragon, he has excelled on turf when no one else has and with six wins from 11 starts on the grass, and two 100+ speed ratings, he has certainly proven that he can handle it and looks to aim for bigger races at a mile, with a pair of BC events on his radar.

No one really wanted the early lead in the Play The King but Dance General (3.40) was almost forced to push forward from his outside stall if he wanted to save any ground and he took the advantage from Editorial (9.80) with The All Blacks (6.15) right in the mix. Into the far turn through an opening split of 22.75, Dance General was confronted by The All Blacks to his inside while Editorial moved to the rail and all the while, in behind, Louis Pasteur (7.90) loomed large with Tiberius Claudius (7.85) ready to make his move. Through a half-mile in 45.49, The All Blacks had taken the lead with Dance General fading and Editorial looking for a way between but at the head of the lane, the rail opened up and the backfield started to run and no one looked better than Dogs Dragon (*2.95), who got a dream drafting trip. With steady progress, he inched his way forward with a furlong to run and through six-panels in, they were eight across the track with the inside placing usually being the best. On this date, that certainly came to fruition and in a frantic finish, Dogs Dragon was able to outlast Louis Pasteur by a neck, with Gullis Grenade (27.85) also riding an inside trip to grab third from a tired The All Blacks. Tiberius Claudius failed to menace late in fifth, Editorial came up empty in that final furlong, Super Sexy Sanny (12.20) and Aurora Sails (6.55) disappointed and Dance General was amiss, trailing in after setting a modest pace for the class.

Dogs Dragon has won multiple stakes races in his career but clearly proved on Sunday that he enjoys shorter distances with a rousing score in the Grade II Play The King at WO. The interesting question is whether he comes back in a race like the KD Turf Dash, as a prep for the BC Turf Sprint, or whether he tests the waters once again with a start in the Grade I WO Mile, hoping for his chance against the best at KEE come November.

Congratulations goes out to owner Maxmillion Farm and their three-year-old gelding Dogs Dragon, a sharp winner of the Grade II Play The King Stakes at WO!

Prediction             Dance General / Aurora Sails / Gullis Grenade

Winner                   Dogs Dragon

                                  Three-year-old gray gelding

                                  Dogs Bachelor Party-Iron Dragon (Ironbound)

Owner                     Maxmillion Farm

Time                         22.75, 45.49, 1:08.69, 1:20.35

Overall

Dogs Dragon         *2.95 rail ride, up in time

Louis Pasteur         7.90 between rivals late, missed

Gullis Grenade       27.85 inside run, came too late

The All Blacks        6.15 pressed in middle stages, tired late

Tiberius Claudius    7.85 wide trip

Editorial                    9.80 no late threat

Super Sexy Sanny    12.20 outrun

Aurora Sails              6.55 outrun

Dance General          3.40 set pace, faded badly

Triple T Racing 🙂

Categories: Grade II