New Orleans Handicap (Grade 2)- $400.000 Purse
FG- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
March 23, 2019
Sometimes you just have to forget form. Maybe Liverpool Rocket just likes the spring time. After good results in March and April of last year, he not only finished out of the money in every race since, but in many of them, was well off the pace. Trainer Estero Farms has eaten a lot of entry fees for this one, as he has continued to place him in top graded stakes, and now that hole in the wallet as I alluded in the preview can feel a little better. Still, Estero will be hoping this is the start of good things to come. He gets his first win in the stake, and it is third win for jockey C J Lanerie. Congrats to them! The time of the win was 1:47.73. Let’s take a look at it.
(½ Mile- :47.12)- Out of the gate, Eclipse My Knowledge, out of Nakamura Stables, is the quickest, but soon it would be Stranger taking the early lead for D J C Racing Stables. He paces the field around the opening turn, and has some company creeping up beside him in the form of Dastardly Havoc, from Maxmillion Farm. Eclipse My Knowledge settles in to third, about two lengths off the lead. Things are orderly behind them. A three wide group is next, consisting of Having A Blast (Mb Stables), Farley On Wheels (Tiratzo), and Royal Eclipse (Chili King Stables). Our eventual winner, Liverpool Rocket, is on the outside of the next group of three, and he has the John Henry duo of Gene Chandler and Made To Sin to his inside. Next come Have A Seat (Maxmillion Farm) and Cube Zero (Aml Racing), with Game Cent (Mb Stables) at the back, and eight lengths from the lead.
(3/4 Mile- 1:10.72)- In the backstretch, Dastardly Havoc completes the pass of Eclipse My Knowledge, and shows the way into the turn with a length lead. Stranger remains second on the rail. Towards the end of the backstretch trip, Having A Blast was looking very interested, and drew even with Eclipse My Knowledge for third with his eyes set on the top spot. Farley On Wheels and Royal Eclipse were in the middle of the field, but moving outside and looking for room. Made To Sin seemed to have room on the inside while Liverpool Rocket was also moving to the outside, and still had about five lengths to make up. Gene Chandler looked to be slipping, while a good lane could be awaiting Cube Zero. Have A Seat and Game Sent trail.
(Top Of Stretch, 1.7F To Go)- Around the turn, Dastardly Havoc completely put away Stranger, and was looking good is not for Having A Blast catching up to him along the outside. He had pulled to within a length, and was in great form. Eclipse My Knowledge and Stranger were having a hard time keeping up, but along the outside, and about 6-7 wide, we see Liverpool Rocket pouring it on, and certainly not looking like a horse that had been struggling coming into the race. Made To Sin was still looking okay, though Farley On Wheels and Royal Eclipse seemed to be lacking response. Cube Zero was looking for room right up the middle of the track. Not much out of the others, though potentially Game Cent could follow Cube Zero.
(Finish- 1:47.73)- Dastardly Havoc and Having A Blast have themselves a battle, but neither would get the win, as the steady advance of Liverpool Rocket would get it done today, getting up at the wire just in time to take the win over Having A Blast. A fantastic stretch run sees Cube Zero get third, while Made To Sin nips Dastardly Havoc for fourth. Maxmillion Farm will be disappointed to not get a piece of the purse. Game Cent advanced well, but ran out of time. The final running order would be Eclipse My Knowledge, Royal Eclipse, Have A Seat, Farley On Wheels, and Stranger. Oh wait, and then eventually Gene Chandler.
About The Winner- Liverpool Rocket, trained by Estero Farms and ridden to victory by C J Lanerie, is a four year old gelding out of the late Flecha Hierro, and is out of Level Headed. He was bred in California by Kopites as a yearling, and acquired by Estero Farms via Golden Stables in a September 2017 private sale for $175.000. The win is his fourth in 19 starts, and first since December 2017. It’s his third stake win and second graded win, putting his career earnings to $767.440.
Track: Fast
Time: :47 1:103 1:35 1:473
$2 Mutuel Prices:
$1 Exacta: 4 – 2 Paid 38.30
$1 Trifecta: 4 – 2 – 3 Paid 1,443.30
Scratched: None
— NS
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES
