The River Memories ($100.000 Purse)
BEL- For Fillies and Mares Four Years Old and Upward
One Mile and One Half on the Turf
July 11, 2021

The field was small but the distance long for the River Memories as five fillies and mares went to post. Maya Caribe ended up being a pretty big post time favorite for the race, though I was a little skeptical about her getting the full distance. That would prove to be no problem at all as she picks up a sharp looking win, doing so by a length. Her trainer is First Street Stables, and they win the race for the first time. This is also true for jockey D Davis. Congratulations to them! Our pick, Dawning Ice Age, failed to show up and after this result probably should be producing her first foal soon, but that’s not my call. The race went in a time of 2:26.20, the third fastest in its history. Let’s take a look at it!

(½ Mile- :49.15)- Three horses run side by side by side down the front stretch for the first time, and they were initially led by Rock Creek’s Dawning Ice Age, but she would give way to her two rivals by the time they hit a half mile. Now, the eventual race winner, First Street Stables-trained Maya Caribe is running to the outside of Mo Mentum Farm’s Sancerre, and the two of them were matching strides. Dawning Ice Age backs into a stalking position, and there’s another length and a half to Investment Return (Badger Stables). Made The Choice High (First Flight Stables) is way back, trailing the leaders by seven.

(¾ Mile- 1:13.19)- Midway through the race, Maya Caribe is ahead of Sancerre by a neck as the two of them create more distance from the rest of the field. Dawning Ice Age has dropped further off the pace, but is still third, some four lengths out. Investment Return is a length behind her, and you have to go back ten lengths from the front now to find Made The Choice High.

(Top Of Stretch, 1.8F To Go)- During the backstretch, this was quickly looking like a two horse race. Maya Caribe and Sancerre were having good battle with one another, but the gap to the rest of the field continued to grow, and there did not seem to be anyone coming, Around the turn, there would be about six lengths to third place, which Investment Return would claim as Dawning Ice Age decided she had enough. Midway through the turn, Made The Choice High was beginning to cut into the deficit, but it was a very large one to cut into.

(Finish- 2:26.20)- Early in the stretch, the side by side battle between the top two continued, but in the final furlong, it would be Maya Caribe proving that she very much could get this distance as she wins the battle with Sancerre, and pulls away from her by about a length to secure the victory. Sancerre is two lengths ahead of the fast moving Made The Choice High, but she will need to make a choice to be closer to the leaders in the future. It’s about three lengths to Investment Return. Oh, and eventually Dawning Ice Age did actually finish.

About The Winner- Maya Caribe, trained by First Street Stables and ridden to victory by D Davis, is a four year old filly by Spanish Capitano and is out of the late Warrior Dance. She was bred as a yearling in Ontario by First Street Stables, the only trainer for which she has ever known. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her fourth in 15 starts, and her first stake win of any sort. Her career earnings are now $161.560.

Track: Firm
Time: :49   1:13   2:01¹  2:26¹

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 5 – 1 Paid 22.90
$1 Trifecta: 5 – 1 – 2 Paid 26.50

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded