Mineshaft Handicap (Grade 3)- $150.000 Purse
FG- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
February 16, 2019
On a day where the first 50-point TC-prep race took place, a former winner of the KYD took to the track at FG. This would be Shootfromthehip’s first race of his five year old season, and one race into it, he’s matched his win total from 2018. It’s a great for the Knowledge Geek gelding to begin his season, and it makes Nakamura Stables a first time winner of the stake. Jockey A Beschizza also wins for the first time. Congratulations to them! The time of the win was 1:41.10. Let’s take a look at it!
(1/4 Mile- :23.30)- It’s a good start for Nice Distorted Laff, out of Night Rider Stables, who holds off an initial challenge by Spanky Barn’s Blurred Return, to pull out to a lead of about two lengths. Blurred Return eventually settles in, and Eatin My Dust, from Hambletonian Stable, slides through near the rail to take over the second place. Viking Major is near this group, too, while in the fourth lane for Nakamura Stables. Just to his inside is our eventual winner, Shootfromthehip, also from Nakamura Stables. He has three and a half lengths to make up at this point. It’s another length back to Pip Boy Phooey (Maxmillion Farm) and Rumble (D J C Racing Stables), and another to the trailer, Harleys Hope (TwinTowersRacing).
(½ Mile- :46.74)- As we run down the backstretch, Nice Distorted Laff continues to lead the way without any pressure being applied to him. The lead is two and a half lengths over Eatin My Dust and Viking Major, who are running side by side. Blurred Return backed off further during this portion, and is now running in the middle of three wide four and half lengths off the lead. To his outside, Shootfromthehip maintains a steady stride while potentially having a nice lane to pull forward to along his stablemate’s outside. Pip Boy Phooey rides the rail here, and Rumbe and Harleys Hope continuing to trail.
(Top Of Stretch, 2F To Go)- The remainder of the backstretch trip seed Nice Distorted Laff continuing to run all by himself with a lead between two and three lengths. This continues heading into the turn, but once there the lead starts to shrink a little, though Nice Distorted Laff still seems in good form. Eatin My Dust is second, but has only slightly cut into the lead. Shootfromthehip, about midway into the turn, takes the lane that he had been tracking, and moves to the outside of his stablemate. By the time they reach the top of the stretch, both he and Viking Major are heads apart, and have pulled to within three lengths. Pip Boy Phooey is advancing on the rail a little bit but traffic trouble was looming. The others, Blurred Return, Rumble, and Harleys Hope were not showing much at this point.
(Finish- 1:41.10)- Nice Distorted Laff holds his own early in the stretch run, but Shootfromthehip is looking good now, and hits his best stride. He closes in on the leader, but is not the only one doing so. Pip Boy Phooey nicely moved off the rail and to the outside of Eatin My Dust to make a valiant run at the lead, but Eatin My Dust is not giving in, either. Shootfromthehip would show his class and be about a length better then the rest of the field as he picks up the win. Nice Distorted Laff holds on my a head over Eatin My Dust, who beats Pip Boy Phooey by a similar margin. Blurred Return and Harleys Hope would get a little closer at the end. Rumble would be a disappointment, and Viking Major faded late.
About The Winner- Shootfromthehip, trained by Nakamura Stables, and ridden to victory by A Beschizza, is a five year old gelding by Knowledge Geek and is out of Jessica James. He was bred in California by Nakamura Stables as a yearling, and they have been together throughout. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his ninth in 25 starts, and his fifth graded stake win. His career earnings are now $3,759.250.
| ## | Horse Name | Owner Name | Jockey | Odds | Fin | Time | SRF | |||
|
Shootfromthehip | Nakamura Stables | Beschizza A | 5.45 | 11 | 1:41.10 | ||||
|
Nice Distorted Laff | Night Rider Stables | Bridgmohan S X | 4.75 | 2nk | 1:41.33 | ||||
|
Eatin My Dust | Hambletonian Stable | Bravo J | 16.35 | 31/4 | 1:41.38 | ||||
|
Pip Boy Phooey | Maxmillion Farm | Talamo J | 4.60 | 43/4 | 1:41.46 | ||||
|
Blurred Return | Spankys Barn | Santana R Jr | 18.00 | 5no | 1:41.62 | ||||
|
Harleys Hope | TwinTowersRacing | Bejarano R | 3.70 | 61/2 | 1:41.64 | ||||
|
Rumble | D J C Racing Stables | Velazquez J R | 6.40 | 71/2 | 1:41.77 | ||||
|
Viking Major | Nakamura Stables | Geroux F | 3.60 | 8 | 1:41.88 |
Track: Fast
Time: :231 :463 1:101 1:41
$2 Mutuel Prices:
| 4 – Shootfromthehip | 12.90 | 6.10 | 4.40 |
| 7 – Nice Distorted Laff | 5.70 | 4.00 | |
| 2 – Eatin My Dust | 14.10 |
$1 Exacta: 4 – 7 Paid 24.70
$1 Trifecta: 4 – 7 – 2 Paid 1,261.50
Scratched: None
Winner picked by NS
— NS
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
