The Rebel (Grade 2) (KYD)- $900.000 Purse
OP- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
March 19, 2016

Want to know just how tight things are on the KYD trail?  Just check out the Grade 2 Rebel, where a total of five lengths separated the winning Fearful from the last place Electric Pip.  In a race as close as this, you need a good trip and a little bit of luck.  Fearful, who had only won one race in two starts coming into this, was on the rail and was able to get both of them today.  While his post did allow for him to have the shortest way around the race track, and was also a little bit lucky to be positioned right behind Cozzene Lyphard.  If that one doesn’t make a move forward and break through the wall in front, then Fearful is never able to follow him through.  The second place horse, Rising Light, didn’t have the rail by any stretch of the imagination, but also had a hole come open for his own run through for the stretch.  This allowed these two to get ahead of the wall of horses just enough to a showdown for the win between them.    It would be Fearful edging out Rising Light.  Then, well, came the wall of everyone else.  That’s how tight it is right now to get into the KYD.   For winning trainer Mb Stables, it is a job well done with a lightly raced horse.    It’s his second win in this stake, having done so three years ago with some horse that went by the name of Commanding.  Will Fearful follow in those footsteps?  Well, let’s not put that level of pressure on him yet.  Here’s how the race went down.

1st- 1- Fearful (17/1)- Our eventual race winner from Mb Stables was not all that interested in the early pace, preferring to stay on the rail, near the back, and about five lengths off the lead as they made their way around the opening turn.  While others jostled for positions in the race, jockey P Lopez never needed to be bothered by that and kept Fearful on the rail, which remained rather clear with the exception of Cozzene Lyphard, who would prove to be critical in Fearful’s win today.  Things were calm during the backstretch trip, but as they moved into the turn, Cozzene Lyphard made a powerful move in an effort to try and get by Swinging Doors.  This move freed up the rail a little more for him, but still a matter of needing to get by Swinging Doors himself would loom as an issue.  Fly Millennium, who was to his outside, was actually the one in the perfect position here.  But Fly Millennium could not stay in that lane, and moved down yet another, and P Lopez pounced on his opportunity to then follow Cozzene Lyphard through instead of potentially being boxed in later.  This move allowed him to quickly do away with Fly Millennium, and thankfully for Mb Stables, Cozzene Lyphard was full of run at the top of the stretch.  Fearful patiently followed Cozzene Lyphard, who possibly to his own peril made the pass for the lead a little too easily.   That pass allowed Fearful to set up his own pass, and move to the outside of Cozzene Lyphard and eventually completely the pass.  In the final furlong, the race came down between he and Rising Light, who had been maneuvering traffic in the outside lanes.  The two of them had a battle, but it would be Fearful who would prove to be a little stronger to the wire, commanding an impressive victory for himself.  Congratulations to the connections on the win!  The ending race time was 1:41.60, and that is a new record for the stake.  Fearful is a three year old gelding by Inspector Jacques (who is out of Commanding’s Dam with some Charley Farley blood thrown in for good measure), and out of Living Alone who has some Hollywood Moon/Black Moon in her.  She was bred in California as a first quarter two year old by Mb Stables, the only owner she has ever known.

2nd- 9- Rising Light (20/1)- Stunned that the Nakamura Stables entry, fresh off a win in the El Camino, could go off at these odds. Got off to a good enough start to be positioned ahead of those who would form the wall of doom later.  However, K J Desormeaux dropped him back just enough to where he did have to swing out about six lanes in the turn in order to make his move to the front.  Although inconvenient to have to do this, if it was not done, he would have found himself behind either Walkin On Ice or Black Mach One, two horses that would go backward in the stretch.  This lane would be clear, and he plowed right on through.  He was strong in the stretch, showing the same power in his stride that he did in the El Camino that will make him a dangerous threat in the KYD.  On this day though, he would cover more race track then Fearful needed to, and as the two of them battled in the stretch, Rising Light could not outkick the winner.  Otherwise, he was very impressive, and we’ll need to remember him at CD in May.

3rd- 6- Cozzene Lyphard (11/1)- It was a strong start for the Kingelleinc entry and an overall impressive performance.  You could probably also argue that if it were not for Cozzene Lyphard, Fearful does not even hit the board.  He was tucked in on the rail in the early stages, just a couple lengths behind Swinging Doors.  He would run well over the backstretch and swung open a couple doors for Fearful and Fly Millennium as he looked to pass Swinging Doors for the lead.  At the top of the stretch, he looked strong, though maybe a little bit too strong as he soared to the lead.  By getting past Swinging Doors so easily, there became enough room for Fearful, who had been drafting him through the hole, to make a move to the outside.  He would put up a fight, but once Fearful had the lane there was no denying him.  On the outside, Rising Light was also in great stride, meaning that Cozzene Lyphard will settle for third here, but likely have a happy trainer afterward.

4th- 2- Fly Millennium (9/1)- Our pre-race pick probably had the trip from hell, and surely trainer Blushing Meadows is a little frustrated that his talented TC contender could not showcase more of his talent today.    Things started relatively normally, as he was running near the back of the pack.  Maintained this position for most of the backstretch, but with 3.4 Furlongs to go, Mar Garcia made a decision that cost Fly Millennium the race, and he may have had some explaining to do afterwards to his trainer.  At this time, Cozzene Lyphard comes down off the rail two lanes, creating all kinds of room not only for Fearful, but Fly Millennium also had plenty of opportunity to move a lane closer to the rail as well.  He didn’t take the lane, but still could have followed Cozzene Lyphard.   Inexplicably, Fly Millennium moves down yet another lane to end up behind Walkin On Ice, which would be very costly.  With a furlong to go, eventually, some daylight opened up, and Fly Millennium was full of run.  Because he was so full of run then, one can only wonder what might have been if a better riding decision was made earlier.

5th- 10- One City (13/1)- Did not start well for Mb Stables, content to go near the very back of the pack in the early stages, and would not make the concerted push to the front in the opening turn that a couple others did.  He doesn’t show much over the course of the backstretch, still behind content to run with the back markers about five lengths from the lead.   Moved down outside a few lanes, and at this point of the race, it was more about who was behind who rather then the sheer ability of the horse.  One City was fortunate to be behind Rising Light, a horse moving forward quickly, and was able to stay behind him to pick off several positions in a jumbo finish.

6th- 17- Swinging Doors (10/1)-   It was an aggressive start from the fourteenth post for Swinging Doors.  He fired out to the lead promptly for trainer Hawaiian Shirt Guy.  This move allowed him to get all the way to the rail pretty quickly, so this post never really seemed to be that much of an issue.  Led the field around the turn and into the backstretch in an opening quarter of :23.21 and half in :46.80.  Continued to lead by a length and a half heading into the turn, but this is where the field started to catch him and begin to try and pass him.  Battled until the final half furlong, but it would be at that point where he looked to pack it in.  By being on the rail, he didn’t lose as many spots as he could have as the wall approached.

7th -5- Steal Your Heart (12/1)- Started near the back of the pack for Mb Stables, and by the time they had reached the start of the backstretch portion of the race, he had moved all the way to the rail while in the last position.  Stayed in this position for a large portion of the race, allowing him to be behind his stablemate and eventual winner, Fearful.  He tried to follow him through, and while he used the same level, he didn’t have the same kick his stablemate did.

8th- 15- Duel Threat (11/1)- The entry from Australia Wide got off to a poor start, perhaps distracted this morning by all the hype around the barn concerning the sale of The Perfect Day late Friday.  It didn’t take him long to decide to run, however, as he aggressively moved up in the opening turn while about five wide and was, all of the sudden, in fourth for the backstretch run.  Did well to hang with the leaders for a while, but would again be very much outside for the final turn run, and all this extra ground that he covered today would take its toll in the run to the finish.

9th- 7- Shocking Pretense (101/1)- The Barcelona Farms entry found himself right smack in the middle of the field at the start.  He would remain part of this tight pack over the first turn, and within the backstretch.  Had a lane available behind Duel Threat if he wanted to take it, but opted not too, and Rising Light would ultimately come down into that lane.  Therefore, R A Baze had no choice but to swing his entry all the way to the outside-most lane for the run around the final turn.  He did what he could, but could only be part of the wall at the wire.

10th- 3- Twisted Diademe (8/1)- Did not get off to the greatest start for trainer Drabfantasy as he made his graded stake debut today.  This start put him in some heavy traffic right from the get go, as while he was only five lengths from the lead, it was looking as though he would get boxed in.  As they moved around the stretch, he clearly had no where to go, and just when it looked like he might be finding a lane, Walkin On Ice drifted directly into it.

11th- 8- Walkin On Ice (12/1)- Got off to a good start for trainer Nj Vets, and would have been the leader for the run around the opening turn if not for a very aggressive outside push from Swinging Doors.  Content to stalk that leader for the run down the backstretch.   He would continue to hold this position into the final turn, but as they approached the top of the stretch, the push from behind was coming and a typical HRP jumbo finish was looming.  It seemed as though Walkin On Ice was not going to hold off many, and would end up near the end of the pack, but still part of the wall at the wire.

12th- 11- Black Mach One (10/1)- Smokey Stover’s colt got off to a good start and was in the mix early.  He would handle the first turn well, and by the beginning of the backstretch, had assumed a good stalking position alongside Walkin On Ice, a couple lengths off the leader.  Still seemed to be in good position within the turn, but as they moved into the stretch, the competition was coming, and Black Mach One did not have an answer for them.  He would battle the best he could.

13th- 12- Swarley Kapai (15/1)- The filly from Grimley was soundly beaten out of the gate by all of her male counterparts.  However, she looked to recover quickly from that start and passed a few while about four wide around the opening turn.  By the end of the backstretch trip she had advanced to 7th while in this five-wide lane, and had to stay in it around the final turn.  Swarley Kapai did well in the stretch, but eventually was at least eight of nine wide as a part of the wall to the finish line and gets an ending finishing position not really indicative of her effort.

14th- 4- Electric Pip (7/2)- The post time favorite disappointed many in the crowd today, as well as his trainer, Chili King Stables.  His start was not all that bad, but he quickly found himself near the back by the time they began the backstretch run, and was at the back for the run around the turn.  Wanted to move forward in the stretch, but he was behind the wall at this point, and unless he was going to jump in the grandstands, there was no room for a move.

Track: Fast
Time: :23¹  :46⁴  1:10³  1:41³

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 1 – 9 Paid 192.20
$1 Trifecta: 1 – 9 – 6 Paid 1,483.30

Scratched: Color Me Purple, Prime Time Opus, Water Mummy

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES