The DeFrancis Memorial Dash – Grade III
6 Furlongs Dirt Stake Purse $250.000 Open 3 Year Olds And Up.

1st Hold my Steel, trained by Mb Stables
It looked pretty obvious when you looked at the work out times and factored in the three year old weight allowance that this one would win. The fact that he had run third in the grade one Vosburgh last time also was a strong guide but with the three year olds being so dominant in general you didnt even need that run to be confident. Travelling in midpack he picked the leaders up at the furlong pole and won pretty cosily in the end by three quarters of a length. This is yet another top three year old from the massive Mb Stables empire and it just remains to be seen whether he can continue this form as he hits the graveyard four year old season soon.

2nd Power And Money, trained by Kopites
Talking of four year olds this gelding still hasnt managed a win all year but certainly deserves one. challenging strongly throughout the last furlong he ran a cracker and should do well as a five year old.

3rd =Domination Nation, trained by Double J Stables
This old fella made atleast one of my prophecies correct as he dead heated for the second time in 2 weeks. Close enough as they hit the stretch he may just have felt his superb effort in the BC Sprint last time and just whacked away in the end.

3rd =Top Hero, trained by Tiratzo
It seems funny to think a horse can dead heat with a top older sprinter just because he is a three year old but that happened here as this son f Plucky Hero mounted a huge late run to share third. He had run well before that but no previous form suggested he may have been capable of running this well but with a weight allowance and some good work times there was no real reason he couldnt. Like the winner only time will tell if he can improve enough to have a half decent four year old season.

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES