Expert Eye is BC Bound After Crosby Stakes Win

By Nynl Stables on August 1, 2021

Crosby Stakes (Grade 1) (BC)- $300.000 Purse
DMR- For Three Year Olds and Upward
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
July 31, 2021

Expert Eye came into the race after winning the Grade 3 Bold Venture at WO, and there would be plenty of reasons to like him in the Crosby because of it. However, he had not been consistent lately, so if you were not convinced that he would follow that up well, that was a legitimate concern, too. He would end up being among the favorites for the race, although there was not one single horse that was a clear cut favorite. WIth jockey D Moran aboard, just like he was in the Bold Venture, Expert Eye utilized a smart stalking trip early to pull away in the stretch and win by a length and punch his ticket to the BC Sprint. It is the first win in the stake for both trainer TwinTowersRacing and jockey D Moran. Congratulations to them! The time of the win was 1:08.44, the third quickest in the race’s history. Here’s a look at it!

(¼ Mile- :22.36)- Smokin Luka explodes out of the starting gate for trainer Mb Stables and quickly opens up a lead of nearly two lengths. Behind him, he has a group of four that are lined up, with Allinthegate’s Kid Commander on the outside and leading the way of that group. Our eventual winner, Expert Eye is with the crowd, running in the second lane. He has Geronimo, from Nakamura Stables on his inside and Tko, from Fractious, on his outside. It’s another length to Gdp Inc’s On The Turning Away, and then another length to the next group of four. Dangerfield (Mo Mentum Farm) is a neck in front of Korean Boyband (Night Rider Stables) and A Beagle Named Boo (John Henry), with Code Red Party (Martyparty). The trailers are Get Set Gone (Serenity Stables) and Milford Sound (Mwn Racing).

(½ Mile- :44.98, Top of Stretch, 1.7F To Go)- Smokin Luka continues to lead the way down the backstretch and into the turn without anyone putting any pressure on him. Through the turn, he seems comfortable, but approaching the stretch, Expert Eye looks to mount a challenge. This had to be a welcomed sight for trainer TwinTowersRacing, because when his horse has not run well, these types of moves simply did not happen. If he was going to run like he did in the Bold Venture, then he was in a perfect spot now. The horses that he was running with; Geronimo, Kid Commander, and Tko, would not make their move at the same time. For Geronimo, the eventual second place horse, losing a length to Expert Eye right here cost him the race. Elsewhere, On The Turning Away was looking to advance, and Dangerfield had a good lane on the outside. Korean Boyband and A Beagle Named Boo maintained their positions but needed to get moving now. Others had quite a bit of work to do now if they would have a shot.

(Finish- 1:08.44)- Smokin Luka did not look too bad initially in the stretch, but with about a furlong to go, he seemed more like a sitting duck. Expert Eye made the pass rather easy, doing so on the outside, and began to effortlessly pull away from him. The concern for Expert Eye would be the others in the field, including Geronimo, who was running well on the inside. But that length that Expert Eye put on him on exit of the turn would come in handy and not be something that Geronimo could make up as Expert Eye pulls off the win and will be a part of the BC Sprint just as long as he is entered. Geronimo was not really challenged for second, and gets that position by a length over On The Turning Away, who is the best of the rest at this point. Fourth to Tko, then Korean Boyband and the pacesetter Smokin Luka. Rounding it out, its A Beagle Named Boo, Dangerfield, Milford Sound, Kid Commander, Code Red Party, and a horse that disappointed mant, Get Set Gone.

About The Winner- Expert Eye, trained by TwinTowersRacing and ridden to victory by D Moran, is a five year old horse by Commanding and is out of the late Nipponosaurus. He was bred as a yearling in New York by Blushing Meadows and was acquired by TwinTowersRacing via Midnight Racing in private sales for $125.000 in September 2019. The win is his eighth in 27 starts, his fourth stake win, and third graded win. His career earnings are now $647.510.

Horse Name

Owner Name

Jockey

Odds

Fin

Time

SRF

Expert Eye

TwinTowersRacing

Moran D

5.90

1¹