Relax and Enjoy the Sorrento Stakes

By Nynl Stables on August 4, 2019

Sorrento Stakes (Grade 2)- $200.000 Purse
DMR- For Fillies Two Years Old
Six Furlongs on the Dirt
August 3, 2019

It’s still too early to know who will be the best racehorses that end up coming about from our class of two year olds. However, it’s not premature to start predicting who those horses might be, and of course, who the top contenders for the BC Juvenile races may be. On the female side Saturday, we got a good look at one of those contenders. Trainer Mb Stables knows all about how to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride with these two year olds, and Relax has been providing pleasant results thus far. By winning the Sorrento Stakes, the Calm Command filly is now a perfect three-for-three in her career. It is the second time in the last three years that Mb Stables has won the race, having also done so with Beat To The Punch. Jockey V Espinoza has done quite well in the stake, and wins for the fourth time, and first since Sneaky Fantastique in 2015. Congratulations to the winners! The time of the win was 1:09.51. This is the just the second time the race has been run at six furlongs, and that time is quicker then last year’s. Let’s look at the race.

(1/4 Mile- :22.90)- Pyrat Princess shoots out to the lead for Allinthegate, and briefly looks like she might opened up by a few lengths, but instead settles in and runs a modest opening quarter. She would be joined at the front end by longshot Starlite Mission, out of D J C Racing Stables. Uzume, an Aer Stables filly, advances and looks to come on between them. Just off the lead are the two fillies from Mb Stables, and this includes the race winner, Relax. She is on the rail while stablemate Zoom Shes Gone is in the third lane. Behind them, also in an orderly fashion are Southern Ideology (Childs Play) and Ill at Ease (La Canada Racehorses). Apologies to La Canada Racehorses for the misname on that horse, I used my toolbar to try and decipher that and it looked like a III there. Cp Great Moon Queen (Childs Play) and Skygazer (Rampage) trail, but are only four lengths back, and Skygazer is in the money lane.

(½ Mile- :45.79, Top Of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- On the front end, Pyrat Princess is continuing to lead the way by about a length at the end of the backstretch, and as the field moves around the turn. Her early running mate, Starlite Mission, was unable to keep up with the pace and began to back out of it. Uzume began getting closer during the turn, and at the top of the stretch, pulled up alongside, and was only about a quarter of a length back. Meanwhile, Relax did what her name says and patiently rode the rail behind Pyrat Princess, and waited until the top of the stretch to begin her advance. This would be done by splitting the two leaders, and she had less then a length to make up at this point. Zoom Shes Gone was not quite as quick as her stablemate, and seemed to be losing touch. Exiting the turn, Skygazer was using the outside lane work, and while she had not yet cut much into the deficit to the front, anyone who’s watched a few stakes on HRP knew a run was coming. Southern Ideology, Ill At Ease, and Cp Great Moon Queen, they weren’t running terribly, but did not look like factors at this stage.

(Finish- 1:09.51)- During the stretch, a good battle emerges between Relax and Uzume, and it would be Relax prevailing the winner with a strong run from start to finish, maintaining her perfect finish. Skygazer ran hard in the money lane, and her effort would allow her to come up for second, ahead of Uzume. Unfortunately for the trainer, she ran out of race track. Uzume settles for third. After another length, the tiring Pyrat Princess holds off the late running Ill At Ease for the final piece of the purse. Rounding out the order are Southern Ideology, Cp Great Moon Queen, Zoom Shes Gone, and Starlite Mission.

About The Winner- Relax, trained by Mb Stables, and ridden to victory by V Espinoza, is a two year old filly by Calm Command, and is out of Copacetic. She was bred in California by Mb Stables as a yearling, the only trainer for which she has ever known. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her third in three starts, her second stake win, and first graded win, Her career earnings are now $219.000.

Horse Name

Owner Name

Jockey

Odds

Fin

Time

SRF

Relax

Mb Stables

Espinoza V

1.15

1^hd