Sycamore (Grade 3)- $300.000 Purse
KEE- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Half on the Turf
October 13, 2023

There may not have been anything spooky that took place on Friday the 13th’s running of the Sycamore, but what we did see was twelve furlongs not being enough to have a single winner. After running the full distance, a dead heat was the result, coming between our pick in the preview, Anemoi, and Real One. Anemoi is trained by Mo Mentum Farm, and it is his first win in the Sycamore. His jockey, Mar Garcia, is also a first-time winner. Real One’s trainer is Nakamura Stables, and it’s the second that he has been to the winner’s circle, although in 2014, his winner, Liquor Store, didn’t have to share any drinks. P Lopez was aboard Real One and wins for the first time in this race. Congratulations to everyone involved! The time of the win was 2:25.23, and that’s among the better winning times in the history of the race. Let’s take a look at it!

(1/2 Mile- :49.01)- One of our eventual winners, Mo Mentum Farm’s Anemoi is the quickest out of the gate and will open up an advantage of about two lengths around the opening turn and into the front stretch for the first time. Running second is the one he’ll be seeing up close at the wire, as the Nakamura Stables- trained Real One is content to run just off the lead. One Eyed Man is another length back, running in the middle of the field for Sheffler Stables, and then comes Cp Sad Pain for Barcelona Farms. At the back of the field is the unexpected post-time favorite, Giannis, for Riggins Racing.

(3/4 Mile- 1:13.32)- The race reaches it’s halfway point with Anemoi still out in front with an uncontested lead of about two and a half lengths. They are single file behind him, with Real One still holding the second position. Following along in the line, we have One Eyed Man, Cp Sad Pain, and Giannis, as we wait for business to start to pick up in this race.

(Top of Stretch, 1.8F To Go)- The duration of the backstretch trip sees the field continue to run in that single file line. However, Real One has cut into the lead of Anemoi, and is not only a length behind him. There is now about a two-length gap to the third place One Eyed Man as we hit the top of the turn. Once in the turn, Anemoi did the best he could to hold on, and still held the lead entering the stretch, but Real One was right there with him, now within a length while running to his inside. We still had the break of two to the rest of the field, and Cp Sad Pain, a horse that seemed to have a very good shot in this race as well, prepares to make his pass of One Eyed Man. He would still have a lot of work to do to catch the two leaders. Giannis was still at the back, possibly showing some effects of having raced just two weeks ago.

(Finish- 2:25.23)- With a furlong to go, Real One pulls up alongside Anemoi but both of them may have been tiring just a bit, as the rest of the field began to draw closer. Cp Sad Pain moved into third and even though it seemed like a stretch that he would get up there to the frontrunners in time, he was going to give it his best shot. At the front, Anemoi was doing his best to show grit and hang on, though it seemed inevitable that Real One would complete the pass. However, these two battled on despite their legs telling them they were tiring out, and in the end, they would hit the wire together for dead heat wins. Cp Sad Pain’s effort got him an appearance in this photo, but he settles for third, a length ahead of One Eyed Man, with Giannis bringing up the rear.

About The Winners:
Anemoi, trained by Mo Mentum Farm, and ridden to victory by Mar Garcia, is a five-year-old gelding by Apocazeus and is out of Big Danze. He was bred by Cedar Road in New York as a second quarter two-year-old, and was acquired by Mo Mentum Farm, via Ashwood Farms, in private sales in June 2023 for $100.000. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his seventh in 27 starts, his second stake win and first graded win. His career earnings are now $557.690.

Real One, trained by Nakamura Stables, and ridden to victory by P Lopez, is a six-year-old gelding by Anybody Home and is out of the late Sports Event. He was bred in California as a third quarter two-year-old by Aml Racing, and was acquired by Nakamura Stables, via Fractious, in private sales for $50.000 in March 2021. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his tenth in 37 starts, and his fourth stake win, all of which are graded. His career earnings are now $860.660.

Track: Firm
Time: :49   1:13¹  2:01²  2:25¹

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 1 – 2 Paid 9.80, 2 – 1 Paid 18.20
$1 Trifecta: 1 – 2 – 5 Paid 73.60, 2 – 1 – 5 Paid 131.60

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES