Every so often a horse comes along that just defines what the Sport Of Kings is all about. We have come along way from those races for the royalty of the British Empire, but two year old filly Relax ( Mb Stables ) may just be one of the best to come out of the class of 2019.
- One Mile and One sixteenth in Distance- Purse $2,000.000
- Santa Anita Park- Main Track Dirt Surface
- For Fillies Two Years old
While we have seen horses like Fuji King ( Australia Wide ) win ten in a row as a six year old, Stormy Weather ( Hambletonian Stable ) win eight in a row as a five year old, and one time top money earner Alpha Ultimo ( Jerry Garcia Racing ) go seven in a row as a six year old, Relax has set the bar for upcoming juveniles. No matter what the level of competition, the distance of the event, rider in the irons or the caliber of competition this filly has to face, she my friends is in a class all her own. I know of no other two year old that has had a season such as this one.
She races like that of a topnotch Poker player, never showing her hand until the very end, then laying all her cards on the table at the line. She has never won an event by more then a length and all her affairs have been nailbiters right to the line. Its as if she likes to toy with the betting public like a cat toys with a mouse.
Her victory in this event has now pushed her career earnings to slightly under $!,800.000, making her average earnings per race just under $300.000
At the very onset of the race, all fourteen of the runners managed to break cleanly from the gate, with four pressing on as they entered the clubhouse turn. Drink Me Pretty ( Estero Farms ) was doing all she could to try and get to the rail, while The Belle Tolls ( Allinthegate ) Miss Tallmadge ( John Henry ) and Little Baby Bomber ( Aer Stables ) all wanted to find a better place at the front as well. Relax was content in seventh with a clear view of the track in front of her.
As they made the top of the backstretch, Little Baby Bomber shot through the gap and pressed on to the lead, forcing Drink Me Pretty to pick up her pace just a bit quicker at this point. Miss Tallmadge was sitting tightly on the rail in third trying to stay in step with the front runner, as Interpoint ( Night Rider Stables ) had quicken her pace to be in fourth. Relax was now setting herself about a length and a half directly behind Drink Me Pretty.
Mid point of the event after a half mile of 47.33, and it was still Little Baby Bomber out in front, with Drink Me Pretty still stalking the pace and getting ready to strike. In the middle of the track was Zombie Storm ( La Canada Racehorses ) who had now moved to within two lengths of the front, with Interpoint to her inside flank. Relax was now joined by runners to both her inside and outside, those being Miss Tallmadge and The Belle Tolls to her inside, and stablemate Risen Day to her outside. The trailers at this point consisted of Untouched Talent ( John Henry ), Blonde Bomber ( Smokey Stover ) and Mad Mistress ( Jokerjoes ) in the first pairing, and then Never Forgotten ( Estero Farms ), post time favorite Rabbit For A Cause ( Jive Inc ) and finally Skygazer ( Rampage Stable ).
Coming off the far turn with determination after the three quarters were clocked at 1:11.09, it looked like it was developing into a two horse race between Little Baby Bomber and Drink Me Pretty. But by the quarter pole, Drink Me Pretty was now in front by two and hoping to pull away from this field. Now up to third was Relax, splitting between both Interpoint and The Bell Tolls.
With a sixteenth of a mile to run, Relax had now pulled alongside Drink Me Pretty and was in full stride to the wire. While Hernandez tried desperately to keep his Estero Farms mount in the picture to the line, the Mb Stable grey was just that much better. While Mad Mistress would use the same hole that Relax did to break free from the pack, she was just a slight bit late at getting up in time to steal the place purse and would have to settle for the show money. Constant competitors throughout Interpoint and The Bell Tolls would find themselves in a dead heat for the minor purse money.
So what next? Does Relax live up to her name and take the rest of the season off, or will her focus now shift to next seasons Kentucky Oaks and we will see her race in the Starlet next month. Only Dan from Mb Stables knows the answer to that question, but if she does decide to rest out the season, I don’t think anyone will question that decision. She has definitely earned it!
| Race #9 19:35 BC Juvenile Fillies – Grade I 1 1/16 Mile Dirt Stake Purse $2,000.00 Filly 2 Year Olds. |
| ## | Horse Name | Owner Name | Jockey | Odds | Fin | Time | SRF | ||
| 3 | Relax | Mb Stables | Bejarano R | 4.65 | 11/2 | 1:42.05 | — | ||
| 14 | Drink Me Pretty | Estero Farms | Hernandez R M | 7.45 | 2hd | 1:42.17 | — | ||
| 2 | Mad Mistress | Jokerjoes | Castellano J J | 59.40 | 31 | 1:42.21 | — | ||
| 8 | Interpoint | Night Rider Stables | Bridgmohan S X | 30.85 | 4hd | 1:42.45 | — | ||
| 9 | The Belle Tolls | Allinthegate | Velazquez J R | 22.40 | 4hd | 1:42.45 | — | ||
| 11 | Risen Day | Mb Stables | Talamo J | 20.65 | 61/4 | 1:42.49 | — | ||
| 12 | Lil Baby Bomber | Aer Stables | Franco M | 45.85 | 73/4 | 1:42.58 | — | ||
| 6 | Miss Tallmadge | John Henry | Saenz D | 15.10 | 81/4 | 1:42.77 | — | ||
| 1 | Untouched Talent | John Henry | Gallardo A A | 7.75 | 9hd | 1:42.87 | — | ||
| 10 | Never Forgotten | Estero Farms | Gaffalione T | 5.50 | 10no | 1:42.90 | — | ||
| 4 | Blonde Bomber | Smokey Stover | Beschizza A | 7.60 | 111 | 1:42.92 | — | ||
| 7 | Zombie Storm | La Canada Racehorses | Saez G | 12.95 | 123/4 | 1:43.15 | — | ||
| 5 | Rabbit For A Cause | Jive Inc. | Lanerie C J | 4.30 | 133/4 | 1:43.33 | — | ||
| 13 | Skygazer | Rampage Stable | Rosario J | 46.80 | 14 | 1:43.51 | — |
Track: Fast
Time: :233 :471 1:11 1:42
$2 Mutuel Prices:
| 3 – Relax | 11.30 | 5.10 | 3.90 |
| 14 – Drink Me Pretty | 6.40 | 5.00 | |
| 2 – Mad Mistress | 63.90 |
$1 Exacta: 3 – 14 Paid 53.70
$1 Trifecta: 3 – 14 – 2 Paid 1,637.20
Scratched: Steady Acquaintance, Vegas Show Hen
Duffer
Categories: BC 2018-20, Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES, THE BREEDERS CUP
