The Fleet Sprint Handicap (Grade 3)- $500.000 Purse
OP- For Four Year Olds and Upward
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
April 10, 2021
Seven Towers has been able to win throughout his career, but he had not been winning the type of races that give the feeling that a Grade 3 win is imminent. In his last race, two months ago, he was sharp in winning a starter allowance, but a big step up would be made here. In the Fleet Sprint Handicap, Seven Towers successfully made that jump. This 37/1 longshot is trained by Threshold, for their first win in this race. Jockey D Moran is also a first time winner. Congratulations to them! The time of the win was 1:08.35, a new stake record! Let’s take a look!
(¼ Mile- :22.48)- Fusaichi Pegasus jumps out to an uncontested lead for Patterson Stables, clearing a group of four that would be about a length and a half back. Dont Worry Be Jolly (Mb Stables) was on the inside of that group, with Korean Boyband (Night Rider Stables) to his outside, then the Maxmillion Farm dup of Its A Laugher and When Your Strange. Geronimo (Nakamura Stables) runs fifth, a length behind them. Next up, we find out eventual winner, Seven Towers, out of Threshold, running to the outside of Devilish Details (Mb Stables), and they are about four lengths off the pace. It’s another length to Cucamonga (Tiratzo), and the trailers are Concan (LionKing Stables), Starship Sweeper (TwinTowersRacing), and Doom (Rampage Stable).
(½ Mile- :45.08, Top of Stretch, 1.7F To Go)- Fusaichi Pegasus remains the leader as they complete the backstretch trip and round the turn, and up to this point, he has not had anyone challenge him for the top spot. That is about the change as they enter the stretch as both Its A Laugher and When Your Strange looked good on the outside and were slowly gaining. About midway into the turn, Seven Towers began to find an additional gear and started an advance. He had to get around both Korean Boyband and Dont Worry Be Jolly first, but had a good lane to do this in. Devilish Details also looked good here, but allowed Seven Towers to get a length on him over this portion of the race, something that he’d be fighting to get back later. Not much else was going on further back.
(Finish- 1:08.35)- Seven Towers made a move to the outside, opting to go between the two Maxmillion horses in the stretch, and this proved to be a great decision. He’d be the best in the stretch, and with a clear lane in front of him, there would be no one stopping him to get this win. Devilish Details would get up for second, beaten by a length, or the same amount of ground he conceded to Seven Towers midway in the turn when that one began his advance sooner. Maxmillion gets the rest of the purse with When Your Strange third and Its A Laugher fourth. Dont Worry Be Jolly is fifth. Concan passed tiring rivals to be sixth, as Fusaichi fizzled to seventh, and Korean Boyband to 8th. Rounding out the order, it’s Cucamonga, Geronimo, Starship Sweeper, and Doom.
About The Winner- Seven Towers, trained by Threshold and ridden to victory by D Moran, is a four year old gelding by Neon Wolf and is out of Ala. He was bred as a third quarter two year old by Smokey Stover and acquired by Threshold, via Fractious, with a $20.000 claim in April 2020. The win is his seventh in 12 starts, and his first stake win. His career earnings are $368.000.
Track: Fast
Time: :222 :45 :563 1:081
$2 Mutuel Prices:
$1 Exacta: 10 – 5 Paid 58.50
$1 Trifecta: 10 – 5 – 11 Paid 751.40
Scratched: None
— NS
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
