11/26/22

  8   CD    KY Jockey Club (GII) [KYD]

       $400.000       2YO         1 1/16  Dirt         120lbs

Turkey Day indeed… when I hit the exacta in a baby race, you know it’s a national holiday!!  Only five lengths separated the field in Friday’s KY Jockey Club (GII) at CD, and it took a photo just to get the top pair sorted out, but in the end, Mo Mentum Farm’s Napples proved to hit the wire by a nose, in front of Arindel’s Pink Shark.  It was a half length back to the Fractious stable-mates, Twirling Candy in third, then a neck to Bold Ruler in fourth.  The final running time was 1:41⁴ for the mile and a sixteenth, and the main track was listed as Fast. 

The field loaded into the gate right in front of the grandstand here at the Twin Spires, and away in good order… Twirling Candy from the rail, Stake The Claim between horses and Azov Battalion on his flank, the trio of Pink Shark, Napples from the outside and Bold Ruler between them, back to Neon Town from the rail, then Apache Chief and Poolside Brave was the early trailer.

Around the far turn and onto the back stretch, Stake The Claim with a narrow lead, Twirling Candy from the rail and Azov Battalion on the outside pressing that one.  Then a length to Pink Shark on the rail, Napples next to that one, Bold Ruler and Poolside Brave.  Another length and a half to the trailing pair of Apache Chief and Neon Town.

Making their way down the backside and now into the far turn with three and a half furlongs to run, Twirling Candy now with a nose in front of Stake The Claim as these two were going at it on the front end…  Azov Battalion moving in the wrong direction with Pink Shark beginning to advance on his inside, Poolside Brave caught wide into the turn, Napples on his inside, then a gap to Bold Ruler, Apache Chief and Neon Town could see them all.

Around the far turn and into the lane, they moved past the three-sixteenths pole and Twirling Candy had a length and a half lead.  Pink Shark advancing up the inside, Stake The Claim trying to dig in from the outside with Napples not full of run down the center of the track.  Azov Battalion continuing to retreat, Bold Ruler, Poolside Brave, Apache Chief and Neon Town.

Deep stretch and to the finish, it was a wide open run to the wire, Pink Shark from the inside, Napples flying down the outside, Twirling Candy trying to fight back, Bold Ruler now showing a late move… but as they ran down the final strides to the wire, this was going to be a blanket finish of horseflesh and as the blur went by, the PHOTO sign went up on the      infield tote-board… after viewing the instant video replay, Napples nailed down the win in the final strides and took the win.  Pink Shark was a very game second, just missing… then Twirling Candy a half-length back in third, with stable-mate Bold Ruler closing a late gap to gain the minor money.  Apache Chief and Neon Town also showed a late interest to gain the fifth and sixth spots, then Stake The Claim in seventh, Poolside Brave eighth and Azov Battalion closed this one out. 

Napples is a 2yo bay gelded son of Apples To Oranges – Pivotal Cherokee, by Cherokee Scope, and he was bred by his owner, Mo Mentum Farms, in Cal.  This was his third win from five starts, the other two races were runner-up efforts, and he now has lifetime earnings of $317.000.  Congrats to the Connections!  

$2 Mutuel Prices:

Track: Fast           Time: :23⁴  :47¹  1:10⁴  1:41⁴
$1 Exacta: 10 – 4 Paid 18.30      $1 Trifecta: 10 – 4 – 2 Paid 168.20
Scratched: At The Gates

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES