Daytona Stakes (Grade 3)- $100.000 Purse
SA- For Four Year Olds and Upward
Six and a Half Furlongs on the Turf
May 29, 2022
It would be a thrilling finish at the Daytona Stakes as eight of the eleven horses in the field finished within a length of each other at the wire. This includes an exceptionally tight five way photo for win, and when the dust settled, it would be King Ranch getting the headbob over Shelbags to give trainer South Shore Stables their first win in the race. There would be a dead heat for fourth, and behind them several trainers groaning as their horse was so close to a win, yet does not even cash a check in the race. Ru Gonzalez was aboard, and wins for the first time. Congratulations go out to the winners. The winning race time was 1:12.80, and it’s the quickest edition of the race since 2015. Let’s take a look at it!
(1/4 Mile- :22.40)- The field heads down the hill in the early going with longshot Thunder Canyon holding the early advantage for Spankys Barn. He’s not able to break away, though, and has two to his inside and within a length. Check Matie is on the inside for Bigchief Stables and between horses, it’s High Voltage’s Suicide Blitz. Trouvaille stalks these three for TwinTowersRacing while running right behind Thunder Canyon. Our eventual winner, King Ranch, sits just off the lead for South Shore Stables, and runs by himself about two lengths back from the leader. After a length or so, it’s a three wide group consisting of Midnight Runner (Paradise Stable), Shelbags (Lindeman Prairie) and The Grandmaster (John Henry). Behind them, it’s Tennessee Oscar (Threshold) and Tacotheratchi (Our Athletes), with Arcaro (High Voltage) several lengths behind them.
(½ Mile- :44.27, Top of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- Things begin to tighten up significantly as the field makes their way onto the main turf course. Thunder Canyon is still the leader, and still has both Check Matie and Suicide Blitz running to his inside, but now those two are just heads apart for the rest of the field. But they start to get more company as King Ranch takes the rail and is within a length of them. Trouvaille also makes advance, and does so while running five wide as we enter the stretch. Shelbags takes an outside trip as he looks to advance while both Midnight Runner and The Grandmaster will hope for lanes to open up in front of them. Tennessee Oscar, Tacotheratchi, and Arcaro were falling out of contention.
(Finish- 1:12.80)- With half a furlong to go, the first eight were lined up much in a way like they were just breaking from the gate in a two furlong race. Spread across the track, it was all going to be about who would win the final dash to the wire. King Ranch was narrowly ahead, but things were so close together that you could fall from first to eighth in a blink of an eye. They would remain tight all the way to the wire, and King Ranch would hold on for the win, prevailing in a well populated photo for the win. Second goes to Shelbags, narrowly over Check Matie and The Grandmaster who dead heat for third. Close but tough luck finishes for Trouvaille, Thunder Canyon, Suicide Blitz, and Midnight Runner. Tennessee Oscar, Tacotheratchi, and Arcaro round it out.
About The Winner- King Ranch, trained by South Shore Stables and ridden to victory by Ru Gonzalez, is a five year old gelding by Chai Latte and is out of the late Greek Goddess. He was bred by Orion Farms in New York as a first quarter two year old and acquired by South Shore Stables in the September 2019 auction for $5.320. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his fifth in 20 starts, and his first stake win of any sort. His career earnings are now $154.940.
Track: Firm
Time: :222 :441 1:07 1:124
$2 Mutuel Prices:
$1 Exacta: 4 – 11 Paid 44.30
$1 Trifecta: 4 – 11 – 2 Paid 73.70, 4 – 11 – 3 Paid 219.10
Scratched: None
— NS
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
