The Diarmida (Grade 2)- $200.000 Purse
GP- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and Three Eighths on the Inner Turf
March 4, 2017

Going off at odds of 27/1, there were not many in the stands that felt Moms Guy had a chance. The lack of confidence was not necessarily about his ability, but moreso because there were several others in here who had accomplished more in their careers.  He seemed vulnerable to being pinned by Hulk Hogan if he jumped out to an early lead, but Moms Guy would look the Hulkster in the eyes and not be intimidated.  He stayed up front, wiring this field! The proud winning trainer is Four Winds Racing, and if memory serves me right this is the first time I have recapped one of their stake wins, so congratulations to them!  It is their first win in the stake, but that is definitely not true for jockey J J Castellano, who wins the race for the fourth time, all coming in the last seven years.  The time of the win was 2:12.03.  Here’s a look at it!

1st- 7- Moms Guy (27/1)- Our eventual winner from Four Winds Racing did not buy into any of that Hulk Hogan hype and went right out to the lead straight from the gate.  He would lead by a length almost immediately, and would maintain the same advantage as they made their way down the frontstretch the first time.    Hulk Hogan was one of three early stalkers, but the biggest challenger of those three would be Mean Street.   He would go a half mile in :48.13, and six furlongs in 1:11.88 moving into the backstretch, still with a cushion of about a length and a half.  Mean Street picked up some ground as they moved into the turn, but Moms Guy was still cruising along, running a mile in 1:35.40.  Handled the turn well, and moving into the stretch, Mean Street was a challenger, but everyone else was two or more lengths behind them.  J J Castellano had to like what he saw as it was tight pack back there and the bigger anticipated challengers had traffic trouble.  He just had to make sure to hang tough over Mean Street, and he would be able to do so for the win! The time of victory is 2:12.03.  Moms Guy is a six year old gelding by Shy Guy and out of Moms Twinkle Toes.  He was bred in Kentucky by Hunterman Stables and acquired by Four Winds Racing via Yahudi Stables in the December 2016 auction for $50.020.  Congratulations to the connections!

2nd- 4- Mean Street (21/1)- Despite winning this race last year, and still seemingly to be in good form for Nakamura Stables, it was stunning to see him go off at these odds.    He would start the race pretty well from the gate, and stalk the pacesetting Mons Guy while being to the outside of Hulk Hogan around the opening turn.  Ran well around this turn, and as they moved into the backstretch, he showed his desire to put more pressure on the leader.  Moving into the stretch, he was the only one that was able to put any kind of pressure on Moms Guy as everyone else was running so tightly packed together.  It seemed as though he was going to make the pass in the latter moments, but could not find the extra gear needed to do so.

3rd- 6- Exactly As Planned (4/1)- Unlike the last race where he dropped way out of it, the Maxmillion Farm entry was closer to the lead early, back by only five lengths as they moved into the frontstretch, and wisely ahead of a couple of rivals we thought would emerge as closers.  Cruised along in the backstretch as one would expect, but traffic trouble seemed to be looming for him as they approached the final turn.  He would be held up a bit, but once he was able to run, he looked good.  Unfortunately for the trainer, the top two got away.

4th- 11- Pink Devil (10/1)- From his outside post, this Night Mare Racing stables entry was unhurried out of the gate, and this seemed to be the best plan as it allowed him to eventually settle in to a midpack position running with good company in Exactly As Planned.  He would not do a lot in the backstretch, and as they moved into the final turn, he was near the back and it looked like a move to the outside was there if J Bravo wanted to take it.  Eventually took the lane he should have been in a furlong before, and advanced to fourth in the stretch.

5th- 5- Carnival O Wow (4/1)- Virtually everyone was willing to forgive his last race as the Oval Express Farms entry was the post-time favorite for this race.  He got off to a decent, though uneventful start, and would be in the middle of the field, about three lengths in the early stages of the race.  Stalked Mean Street going into the backstretch, but did not push forward further when that one seemed too.  Fell to midpack at that point, but hung around in the turn.  Battled in the stretch, just like everyone else in one of those blanket finishes.

6th- 9- Tucson (5/1)- Making his 55th career start, the Aer Stables entry was unhurried out of the gate and found himself at the back with Spotted Cat and My Little Monster.  Rounded the first turn about seven lengths back, and cruised along down the frontstretch, now trailing by eight as he rounded the second turn and prepared for the backstretch.  Began looking to make his move after completing that segment, and was able to sweep to the outside lane about four to five wide. Was coming on strong and was about eight-wide in one of those blanket stretch finishes that we all love so very much here in our virtual world.

7th- 1- Tundra Kenny (47/1)- The once great horse and now longest shot on the board from John Henry started decently, but would find himself in the middle of the field while rounding the opening turn.  Remained in the same spot in the front stretch, not that he would have had a choice because he was entirely boxed in at this stage of the race.  Did not show a push when rounding the turn and seemed like he would just be trying to salvage his best possible finish, and that would be as a part of the blanket.

8th- 2- Hulk Hogan (15/1)- The second Maxmillion Farm entry was with the lead group early but did not seem shot out of the gate as aggressively as he had been in the Connally last month.  Remained tucked in along the rail on the front stretch, and stalking the pacesetting Moms Guy into the turn.  He was able to hang on a little tougher in the backstretch, but as they moved into the final turn, you could see that he was running out of gas. A better performance here this time.

9th- 3- Spotted Cat (25/1)- Though the long odds were a surprise, it was not at all surprising to see the Blushing Meadows entry near the back at the start of the race.  Content to let the field do their thing and be about seven lengths back along with Tucson as they moved down the front stretch.  Looked to split Exactly As Planned and Pink Devil as they moved into the stretch, and that was not necessarily a bad idea.  That is, until he ran into the going nowhere Tundra Kenny. R Bejarano made a late gasp to move him to the rail but it was too late to make up much ground.

10th- 8- Sinissippi Eagle (4/1)- Got off to a decent start for Eastern Equine, and was a little assertive while going around the first turn in a three wide fashion to fight for second.  Maintained his position to the outside of Hulk Hogan and Mean Street in the front stretch and remained three wide into the second turn.  As one those rivals, Mean Street, made his challenge for the lead, Sinissippi Eagle looked to be keeping pace with the tiring Hulk Hogan instead, and he would struggle to the wire.

11th- 10- My Little Monster (6/1)- M E Smith looked to save ground early for the Oquinn Farm entry, immediately dropping him to the rear of the field.  Made a mild advance in the frontstretch the first time, putting him closer to the pack into the clubhouse turn.  Looked to get a little closer in the backstretch but could not make it stick and fell back to the rear of the field midway through the final turn.

Track: Firm
Time: :48   1:11⁴  1:35²  2:12

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 7 – 4 Paid 632.70
$1 Trifecta: 7 – 4 – 6 Paid 1,765.50

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES