Gran Z Rides the Rail to Win BC Dirt Mile

By Nynl Stables on November 5, 2022 • ( 1 )

BC Dirt Mile (Grade 1)- $1,000.000 Purse
KEE- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile on the Dirt
November 5, 2022

Gran Z came into the BC Dirt Mile looking like one of the best horses in the field with wins in two of his prior four races. What was particularly appealing about him here though is that he was well rested for the race, having a little more than two months off. That would be part of the reason that he was made our pick, and he would deliver with a two-length victory. He is trained by Maxmillion Farm, who was fresh off of winning the BC Turf Sprint in the race right before this one. In that race, Ru Gonzalez was aboard, and they would hook up here in the BC Dirt Mile as well. For Maxmillion Farm, it is his first win in the race, and that is also true for the jockey. Congratulations to them! The time of the win was 1:36.23 on the good track surface. Let’s take a look!

(1/4 Mile- :23.31)- Heading down the frontstretch and moving around the first turn, there is no separating the first three horses as they each try to be the early leader. Ultimately, Come To Poppa prevails in his battle for South Shore Stables while running on the outside. White Sunshine is second on the rail for Smokey Stover, and between them, it’s Sexy Back, for Night Rider Stables. After about two lengths, we have a row of four consisting of Eclipse My Knowledge, who is half a length ahead of the others for Nakamura Stables while having the race’s eventual winner, Maxmillion Farm’s Gran Z running to his inside. That one, early on, has a comfortable rail trip. Running with them are Pluckzy (Gdp Inc) and Howl Of The Hound (Mb Stables). Lined up right behind are three more: Figured The Storm (Arindel), Oleg (Arindel), and Buck (Big Jd Racing). Trailing are He Needsa Manzillian (Mo Mentum Farm), Higher Drift (Asgar), The Martian (Mo Mentum Farm), and Mintmach (Nakamura Stables).

(½ Mile- :46.91)- Down the backstretch, the front three continue to battle it out with one another, and White Sunshine is able to claim the top spot before moving into the turn. Come To Poppa and Sexy Back are even for second, and we still have a two and a half-length gap to the rest of the field. Gran Z has now moved into fourth, and he pulls away from the others that he was running with by a length, putting himself in a great spot to make up ground within the turn. Eclipse My Knowledge, Pluckzy, and Howl Of The Hound are still close by, and Oleg is looking to get involved as well with them. Figured The Storm and Buck are within a length of those. The others have more work to do, with Higher Drift starting to show some signs of interest in moving forward at the top of the turn.

(Top of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- Things really get tightened up within the field on exit of the turn. For a while, White Sunshine was seeming comfortable, but all three of the early front runners were losing a lot of ground approaching the stretch. Gran Z was in the driver’s seat here, staying on the rail throughout, and that would include entering the stretch as White Sunshine left him room to come through. In the middle of the field, there was a lot of congestion developing. Howl Of The Hound and Oleg each seemed to be in a good spot here and the outside move of Higher Drift was certainly one to watch. Most of the others were in striking range for at least a fourth-place check.

(Finish- 1:36.23)- Gran Z made the most of his perfect trip in the stretch, along with the fact that he was more than well rested to power on home to a two-length lead, as there was nothing that anyone could do with him at this point. Maxmillion could cheer, knowing that he was picking up another BC win here in the Dirt Mile. Higher Drift lived up to his name with a seven wide trip in the stretch, because he had no other choice, and that gets second. Oleg was good in the stretch for third, and White Sunshine is fourth, over Figured The Storm. Then, it’s Sexy Back, Pluckzy, and Eclipse My Knowledge. I’m scratching my head over He Needsa Manzillian, who was ninth. He was powering through the field, clearly destined to cash a check, then he suddenly hits the brakes as if he was about to run into something. But the thing is…. his lane was clear?! There was enough room, at least with the visual depiction. I would not be happy if I was Mo Mentum Farm right now. Behind He Needsa Manzillian are Buck, Come To Poppa, The Martian, Howl Of The Hound, and Mintmach.

About The Winner- Gran Z, trained by Maxmillion Farm and ridden to victory by Ru Gonzalez, is a six-year-old gelding by El Gran Latro and is out of the late Mrs Z. He was bred in Florida by Oquinn Farm as a first quarter two-year-old, and was acquired by Maxmillion Farm, via Jader Stable, in a July 2018 private sale for $50.000. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his eleventh in 37 starts, his eighth stake win and seven graded win. His career earnings are now $3,683.500.

Horse Name

Owner Name

Jockey

Odds

Fin

Time

SRF

Gran Z

Maxmillion Farm

Gonzalez Ru

7.60

1²