Pasadena Stakes ($200.000 Purse)
SA- For Three Year Olds
One Mile on the Turf
March 17, 2018

It’s been a rainy day at SA, and that would lead to the turf course being downgraded to a yielding status for the return of the Pasadena Stakes to the race calendar off of a long hiatus. Name Drop, having run competitively with Lane Frost just two months ago was made our pick and seemed as though he would be a pretty hefty favorite in this race, but perhaps people here were not convinced that he could handle to wet track. His odds of 4/1 made him quite a value, in my opinion. Most people were favoring Ifitsfreeitsforme, and he too would have a good performance. The proud winning trainer of Name Drop is Mb Stables, wasting no time to add his name to the list of winners for this race. Jockey R J Albarado also wins for the first time. The time of the win on the yielding turf was 1:36.09, which can’t be compared to past events to the track condition. Here’s a look at it!

(1/4 Mile- :23.92)- Twig N Berries is the fastest out of the gate initially for trainer Estero Farms, but eventually it would be Mcl Stables’ Participation Trophy taking the lead as the race moved into the opening turn. He’d look to open up by about a length and a half early on over Twig N Berries. Lost In Failure, from Blazing D ran in third, another length out of it, while our two favorites, Name Drop and Ifitsfreeitsforme were not interested in the early pace. They would run close together, and would trail the leader by five and a half.

(½ Mile- :47.77)- As the field moves around the first turn, and into the backstretch, Participation Trophy is doing his part to have his trophy say “For Excellent Pacesetting”. He pulls away now by about two and a half lengths. Twig N Berries decides this quick pace is not for him, and back off a little bit, just enough to allow Lost In Failure to move up into the second position. Neither were applying any pressure to the pacesetter. While all that was going on, both Name Drop and Itsfreeforme let the field have their early fun, and continued to race together at the back of the pack, they were now about seven lengths from the front, and four a half from third place Twig N Berries.

(Top Of Stretch- 2F To Go)- Participating Trophy continued to lead heading into the turn, but he was starting to look very leg weary within the turn. Both Twig N Berries and Lost In Failure were now within a length of him, but the bigger story would be Name Drop and Ifitsfreeforme. These two easily made up ground over the turn, and before they even hit the top of the stretch, Name Drop had cut over half the deficit that he had, to now just three back, and given he was in full stride and the others were tiring, him taking the lead was inevitable. Ifitsfreeitsforme was doing the same thing, but was a half a length behind Name Drop, so would have to find a way to make up that ground.

(Finish- 1:36.09)- In the stretch, there was no denying Name Drop. He had the clear lane and nothing but tiring horses in front of him. He would easily take the lead on the outside, and the only question would be whether or not Ifitsfreeitsforme could get him. That would not be the case, as some indecisive riding by jockey E Maldonado may have cost Ifitsfreeforme. The inside lane always seemed to be available for him, but an odd decision to try and move outside of the fading horses instead of staying on the rail (which he ultimately retreated) to, would seal his second place fate. Lost In Failure is a best of the rest third, with Twig N Berries and Participation Trophy getting the final spots.

About The Winner: Name Drop, trained by Mb Stables and ridden to victory by R J Albarado, is a three year old gelding by Well Informed, and is out of Take On Blue. He was bred in California as a yearling by Mb Stables, who has been his owner throughout. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his second in five starts, and his first stake win. His career earnings are now $164.550.

Track: Yielding
Time: :23⁴  :47³  1:12   1:36

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 4 – 3 Paid 10.40
$1 Trifecta: 4 – 3 – 2 Paid 62.70

Scratched: None

Winner and Exacta Picked by NS

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded