Caribbean Classic
1 1/8 Mile Dirt Stake Purse $300.000 Open 3 Year Olds.
1st Malibu Moon D J C Racing Stables Bejarano R
Well when i wrote up this race i said that anything could win because all of these horses had demonstrated through works that they were capable of it. If this was real life then you would see this as a shock that the BC Classic winner gets beaten in its very next race but at HRP so much depends on the AI because once you have proven yourself at this level it really is down to what happens on the day as to whether you will win. This entire has shown glimpses of greatness although his best win had been on an off track and he had been beaten out of sight in The Dandy we knew he could win at this level and today he managed to grab a win in the last stride of this very close finish. I suppose the big question will be how he copes now with becoming a four year old and giving weight to the next bunch of very similar looking three year olds.
2nd Instagooglefacetweet Threshold Gaffalione T
The race engine AI took over for this one today putting him in the lead for the first time since his owner had started issuing restraining instructions. It seems no instructions can over ride the wide gate if thats what the race engine decides and off he went at a strong pace to try and make all the running. They were queuing up behind him but he looked as if he may hang on by default until the very last stride. Again his next race will be as a four year old and very soon he will be facing three year olds with a weight pull so he will have to keep improving if he is to see success in 2020.
3rd Market Value Nakamura Stables Jaramillo E
The last time this horse won was in a $5 optional Claimer at FP but here he was beating the BC Classic winner. Such are formlines at HRP but as i said earlier all these horses were working pretty much the same for the dirt mile so it really came down to a bit of AI and a dose of luck on the day. This one stalked the winner and challenged down the stretch and missed out by two noses on the win.
4th Twin Towers Smokey Stover Velazquez J R
A dual grade one winner and the current BC Classic champ this horse was beating the best dirt routers in the game 5 weeks ago but today he could only manage fourth in an ungraded stakes race. Trapped a little wide but in the clear throughout i was just waiting for him to explode past them but it never happened. In the end he was beaten by a neck, the same distance ironically that he won the BC Classic by. I guess in between his grade one wins he has looked a little inconsistent but then Secretariat would look inconsistent at HRP so i think we can still expect him to be back defending his crown next year.
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded
