10/3/2020

   3   BEL    The Pilgrim (GII)

$150.000    2yo      1 1/16m Turf       119lbs +penalties

Wire to wire was the name of the game and Pollards Vision was the name of the horse… La Canada Racehorses sent out the son of Pinkman with a pair of wins and a pair of runner-up races, yet the betting public let him get off at 9/1 odds and they make ’em pay, winning The Pilgrim (GII) by a half length in a final time of 1:403 for the mile and a sixteenth grass stakes.  Joker On Jack closed from way back to grab the place while Aer Stables unnamed gelding also came from the back of the pack for third.

They loaded into the gate in the mile and a sixteenth chute and were away with Pollards Vision on the early gas, Ironside to his inside, Action Man on his outside.  Down to the rail for The Mad King, Day Of the Dragon and Palace, Bunnevera in the middle of the track, In Flight and Marty McFly moving together, Arborist on their outside, Rename1605 from the far outside and Joker On Jack to his inside and away slowest of all.

Making their way down the backside, Pollards Vision on the lead by a nose with Action Man giving him a tussle.  Ironside along the rail and a length and a half behind the top pair, Bunnevera out wider, then a gap to the duo of Day Of The Dragon, The Mad King on his inside, Palace saving ground just behind them, then a line that included Arborist three wide, In Flight between horses and Marty McFly on the rail.  Then another length to the trailing pair of Joker On Jack and Rename1605.

Swing around the far turn and to the top of the lane with three sixteenths to run, Pollards Vision now in front by two and skimming the rail, Action Man had given him all he had, then a line of five that included Ironside on the rail, Bunnevera on the far outside, back to the inside for Palace, The Mad King and Day Of The Dragon between horses, Marty McFly just off of that group and hugging the rail, and another length to the trio of Rename1605, Joker Jack and Arborist, then another gap to the trailer, In Flight.

Now inside the final sixteenth and to the finish, Pollards Vision still showing the way, a cavalry charge behind him trying to dig into the lead… Joker On Jack, Place, Rename1605 from the extreme outside, The Mad King and Marty McFly… but as they hit the wire, this was all about Pollards Vision as he kept on going and won by a half length.  Joker On Jack, sent off at more than 99/1 odds closed well but had to settle for second, just a nose in front of Rename1605.  It was a neck back to Place in fourth, Marty McFly fifth, The Mad King sixth, Action Man seventh, Arborist eighth, Day Of The Dragon ninth, Bunnervera tenth, Ironside eleventh and In Flight closed this one out.

Pollards Vision is a 2yo black colt by Pinkman – Had A Vision, by Commanding, and he was bred in Cal by Fractious.  Acquired prior to his racing career by current owner La Canada Racehorses, this was his third win from five starts, and he now has earnings of $186.800.  Congratulations to the connections.

$2 Mutuel Prices:

Track: Firm             Time: :23³  :47   1:10²  1:40³
$1 Exacta: 6 – 11 Paid 1,697.80              $1 Trifecta: 6 – 11 – 12 Paid 1,474.00
Scratched: Cant Golf No Party, Gravitate

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES