The Glens Falls Handicap (Grade 3)- $250.000 Purse
SAR- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
One Mile and Three Eighths on the Inner Turf
September 1, 2018

That special Mb Stables touch is back at it again. Cross Culture is a horse that not many people knew about before this race. She was claimed for just $14.000 a month ago, and didn’t even with that race. This former five furlong sprinter would now go long for what was actually the second time, but the first time was a while ago. That would come in the Grade 3 Glens Falls Handicap, a level of racing she had been no where near in her career. Mb Stables saw something, and these are the races where we all have to give him credit, regardless of whether or not we really want too. No one else did try to claim Cross Culture that day. Now, she is a graded stake winner. It’s the second win in the Glens Falls for Mb Stables, and the first win for her jockey, the great F Pennington. Kudos also to F Pennington for his excellent ride in the race that immediately preceded this. Been a little while since the trainer of that winner won at the Spa! The time of the win was 2:12.71, one of the better times in the stake’s history. Let’s take a look!

(½ Mile- :48.89)- Our eventual winner, Cross Culture, does not mess around and goes right to the lead for her new trainer, Mb Stables. She has some company with her, as Maxmillion Farm’s Nice Laff Phooey also looks to be quick out of the gate. These two pull away from the other three in the field down the backstretch the first time, and into the opening turn. Into the frontstretch, there is no change as Cross Culture has about a half length lead on Nice Laff Phooey at this point, though Nice Laff Phooey draws level at about the time they hit the wire on the opening lap. You have to go back four lengths to find the next two, and that’s where Bonkers (Team 7 Illusions) and Desmarais (Jerry Garcia Racing) are found. Bonkers is on the inside of that pair. Go back three more lengths to find the 2017 Glens Falls winner, Axeman’s Volare.

(3/4 Mile- 1:12.71)- Around the clubhouse turn, and into the backstretch, Cross Culture and Nice Laff Phooey are running side by side, but not really going at one another hard. The sensible fraction sees them increasing their lead a bit on the rest of the field. It’s now five lengths back to Desmarais in third, who is a half length or so ahead of Bonkers. They are content to be side by side here, but perhaps could have been a little more ambitious to get closer to the leaders. Volare, who is typically a deep closer, is seven and a half lengths back.

(Top of Stretch- 1.7F To Go)- Down the backstretch, there is not much change in the way the race had been progressing, but moving into the turn, we start to see Cross Culture inch away from Nice Laff Phooey ever so slightly. For a horse being extended out and seeing a major class jump, this was impressive to see. Nice Laff Phooey was still running well. Demarais, midway through the turn, realized it was time to put a move on, and had closed the gap to three lengths. However, Bonkers never went with her. Volare was looking sharp, handling the turn well, and slicing her deficit in half as they reached the top of the stretch. She still had three lengths to make up on Cross Culture. Could she do it?

(Top Of Stretch- 2:12.71)- In the stretch, if they were waiting for Cross Culture to tire out, it would never happen. She maintained a consistent stride, and would never be threatened by any of her rivals, winning impressively by a length. Volare does get up for second, but with a more methodical then powerful stretch run. She gets the three way photo nod over Nice Laff Phooey, and Desmarais. Bonkers was another length and a half back.

About The Winner– Cross Culture, trained by Mb Stables, and ridden to victory by the one and only F Pennington, is a four year old filly by Clueless, and is out of Best Shot. Isn’t there some irony there in the names of both of those parents, given the story of hers coming into this race? She was bred in Ontario by Mb Stables, though he initially sold her in private sales for $100.000. So, maybe he did know something in advance. He re-acquired her on August 4th via a $14.000 claim from Jediminds Stable. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her fifth in 16 starts, and first stake win of any sort. Her career earnings are now $229.470.

Track: Firm
Time: :48⁴  1:12³  1:36¹  2:12³

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 5 – 1 Paid 21.70
$1 Trifecta: 5 – 1 – 4 Paid 48.80

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES